The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) thrives on identity issues. It uses these issues to polarise society and to reap electoral benefits from this divisiveness. So far, beginning with the Babri Mosque-Ram Temple movement and December 6 demolition, the Cow-beef vigilantism and killings (lynchings), the Love jihad and many other “kinds of jihad” labelling and demonization, each and all of these have been major tools in the political wand of the BJP. To add to this now, one more issue is being brought to the fore, the issue of National Song Vande Mataram. On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of this song (November 7, 2025) written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (BCC), a once deputy collector in the British Government. The issue was sought to be raked up by the ruling dispensation; Modi insinuated in Parliament that the Indian National Congress –and Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister—had truncated the song, removed one verse, “under the pressure from the Muslim League (ML).” Twisting reality and facts, the Prime Minister also stated that “this buckling to the pressure from the ML also led to the Partition of the country!”
Others from Hindutva right wing joined the chorus. In this twisted formulation of his, Modi is once again, by raising a non-issue and bringing it Centre stage is also attempting to defame Nehru, yet again. Defaming Nehru on every pretext has been the consistent goal of this far right-wing politics. India’s Prime Minister has been “blamed” for every failure of the Modi Government!
What are the facts?
Vande Mataram was written in the 1870s and remained unpublished. It was expanded to few more stanzas and made the part of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee-authored novel, Anand math. This novel of his was written based around the Sanyasi (Hindu ascetic) and Fakir (Muslim ascetic) rebellion. The fakir part of it was concealed in the telling the narrative, primarily shown up as a Sanyasi rebellion against a Muslim ruler! The novel does dream of mosques being replaced by temples and ends with the uprooting of the Muslim king and restoration of British rule.
Ironically, however Vande Mataram did become a political slogan against the British and became a war cry for the various rebellions and actions against British rule. In 1905 when the British divided Bengal on the basis of religion, the massive protests were led with this song and the song ‘Aamar Sonar Bangla Desh’. The song Vande Mataram went on to be very popular all over India and after the formation of State Assemblies it started being sung in these assemblies and some schools. Most of the Assemblies had Congress rule, while the Muslim League was ruling only in three states.
Jinnah in his avatar of the communal leader of the League objected to this song as being Hindu centric, with idolatry in it. Incidentally, opposition to idolatry is not only within Islam but also in the Arya Samaj sect of Hinduism. This objection of Jinnah came for discussion between Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhashchandra Bose through their letters. Nehru undertook to take the advice of Gurudev RabindraNath Tagore, who was a tall literary figure from Bengal. Gurudev opined that its first two paragraphs are acceptable to all as they are in praise of the mother land. The remaining four paras are in the imagery of Hinduism so they can be dropped.
Since the song had become very popular, there was a serious discussion within the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on the issue. CWC resolved, “These two stanzas (first, added) are in no sense objectionable even from the standpoint of those who have raised objections, and they contain the essence of the song. The Committee recommended that wherever the ‘Vande Mataram’ song is sung at national gatherings, only these two stanzas should be sung, and the version and music prepared by Rabindranath Tagore should be followed. The Committee trusted that this decision will remove all causes of complaint and will have the willing acceptance of all communities in the country.” Reported The Hindu.
The Constituent Assembly’s Anthem committee with Vallabh Bhai Patel, K.M.Munshi and others considered three songs for this. Sare Jahan se Achchha (Best in the Word) by Mohammad Iqbal, Vande Matram (BBC) and Jan Gan Man (Rabindranath Tagore). Sare Jahan se Accha was ruled out as Iqbal himself had become a strong supporter of Pakistan. The first two paras of Vande mataram were selected as the National song. Jan Gan Man was chosen as the national Anthem. Vande Mataram and Jan Gan Man both have equal status.
The issue was settled with a great amount of consensus. Why decades after the issue was settled is the issue being raised and such a large amount of time was allotted for discussion of this issue? We know that the country is writhing with pain of deprivations at various levels, poverty, unemployment, pollution, declining standards of public health and education. At this time to bring forth this issue may be having a deeper communal agenda. When Jinnah had raised the issue in the 1930s Nehru had stated in a forthright manner that the issue is being raised by communal elements. Same thing is happening now. The other stream of communal politics rampaging Indian ethos, values of Constitution and pluralism of the country is doing it now.
Incidentally the communal stream which is now asking for the full version to be brought in, had never sung this song through the long-drawn-out struggle for freedom against British rule. This song was sung primarily in Indian national Congress meetings. The slogan of Vande Mataram was raised by those fighting against the British. Since the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) had kept aloof from the freedom movement and helped the British in their efforts of continuing their ‘divide and rule’ policy, they had not sung this song or raised this slogan.
The Indian struggle against British rule was multi-religious, multilingual and multi-ethnic. In this women and men both took part to ensure that a united India emerges. Muslim League was asking for Pakistan in Muslim majority areas and Hindu Mahasabha and RSS were working for Hindu nation. The Constituent Assembly in a way represented the aspirations of emerging India. Vande Mataram, Jan Gan Man issue was settled by representatives of India, the founding fathers of a syncretic and inclusive Indian nationalism.
Those who remained aloof from the freedom movement do not either believe nor follow the norms of Indian Constitution. While today they are arguing for this song in full, in their shakhas they did not sing this song. They had their own, Namaste Sada Vatsale Matrabhume (Salute you affectionate Motherland). They stuck to their saffron flag; rejecting the tricolour, their faith in the Indian Constitution is for namesake only.
The implications of this song in its entirety will have a negative impact. Non-Hindus singing it in schools and public institutions will lead to dislike from many who already are full of fear of their identity being attacked and are being subjected to humiliation at various levels, due to the domination of identity issues.
Related:
Activists singing Vande Matram called ‘anti-national’, attacked in Bihar!
Those Not Chanting Vande Matram have no Right to Live in India’: BJP MLA Surendra Singh