Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a strong critique of the Congress during a Lok Sabha discussion marking the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. The Prime Minister alleged that former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had echoed Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s objections to the national song and had considered limiting its usage to avoid “irritating” Muslim communities.
Speaking in the Winter Session of Parliament, PM Modi referred to a letter Nehru had reportedly written to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, suggesting that the song’s recitation might “provoke” some citizens and should therefore be reviewed. “This was despite Vande Mataram being born in Bankim Chandra’s Bengal,” the Prime Minister said.
PM Modi framed the anniversary as an opportunity to revisit the national song’s contribution to India’s freedom movement. He described Vande Mataram as a “mantra of inspiration” that empowered freedom fighters, even during periods when the British administration restricted its printing and public circulation.
The Prime Minister also drew a connection between the song’s centenary in 1975 and the Emergency declared by then prime minister Indira Gandhi, calling it “a dark chapter in India’s history”. He said that as the song now turns 150, the nation has “a responsibility to restore its full glory”.
Debate Over the 1937 Congress Decision
PM Modi revisited the long-standing debate surrounding the Congress Working Committee’s 1937 decision to adopt only the first two stanzas of the song for official national gatherings. These verses were considered less religiously symbolic than later ones invoking Hindu goddesses such as Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati.
According to the Prime Minister, this decision “sowed the seeds of division” that later contributed to the circumstances leading up to Partition.
The controversy resurfaced last month when BJP leaders cited letters written by Nehru in 1937, arguing that his concerns reflected an effort to accommodate communal sensitivities. The Congress has countered this narrative, maintaining that Nehru viewed the lyrics as “harmless” and not intended to depict deities.
A ‘Historic Moment’ in Parliament
PM Modi contextualised the 150-year celebration alongside other recent national commemorations, including the 75th year of the Constitution, 150th birth anniversaries of Sardar Patel and Birsa Munda, and the 350th martyrdom year of Guru Tegh Bahadur.
He concluded that remembering Vande Mataram in Parliament was “a privilege for all of us” and emphasised the need to honour its legacy in a unified and inclusive manner.
