​Note of harmony: On the debate on Vande Mataram Politics & News

Vande Mataram, the salutation of India imagined as mother, inspired generations of nation-builders who brought together diverse sections of society to fight for freedom from British colonialism. Written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and published with his novel Anandamath in the early 1880s, this year marks the 150th anniversary of the song. Leaders of the Indian National Congress (INC), which was leading the national movement, decided in 1937 to use the first two stanzas at its gatherings, and the Constitution of the modern Republic of India accorded it the status of the national song. It is only fitting that the country remembers the story of the song, its spirit, and its purpose in nation-building. Unfortunately, the parliamentary discussion to commemorate the anniversary of the song turned into a partisan diatribe in which old wounds were reopened and dormant grievances reframed. The BJP, led by the Prime Minister in the Lok Sabha and Home Minister Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha, sought to drive home the point that the INC’s decision to use only the first two stanzas sowed the seeds of the Partition, as the Muslim League gathered support for a separate state of Pakistan. The Opposition, led by Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the Lok Sabha and INC president Mallikarjun Kharge in the Rajya Sabha, explained the historical circumstances of the role of the song and questioned the need for any debate at all on Vande Mataram. Ms. Vadra said Parliament should be focusing on issues of the present that concern everyday lives rather than discussing the past.

The past is important for the present of a national community, but it is important to draw the right lessons from history to avoid repeating mistakes. The national movement built unity among various religious and linguistic communities and sects by expanding the political space that they all could share. In fact, the story of Vande Mataram holds the path of accommodation and mutual respect that unite faiths and communities. Leaders of the national movement thought it was wise to find common ground rather than impose any faith. Millions of Muslims joined the chant of Vande Mataram across the country, as they marched alongside Hindus. While the unification project was successful to a great extent, Partition marked the fragile nature of that unity and flagged a concern for the future, that the promotion of any identity other than a secular, constitutional Indian commonness can be dangerous at any time. Inverting that history of harmony into a cause of fissure serves no purpose. India must uphold unity and harmony with a rejuvenated national purpose. That indeed is the greatest salutation to Mother India.