Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to open a 10-hour debate in the Lok Sabha today on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. The discussion will highlight the song's role in India's freedom struggle amid political exchanges between the ruling BJP and opposition Congress. In the Rajya Sabha, Home Minister Amit Shah and JP Nadda will initiate similar debates, with Mallikarjun Kharge speaking for the opposition.
Vande Mataram, a song composed in Sanskrit and Bengali by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1875, was included in his novel Anandamath in 1881. Rabindranath Tagore set it to music and sang it for the first time at the 1896 Congress session in Calcutta. It became a nationwide symbol during the 1905 protests against the Partition of Bengal and emerged as a rallying cry in the freedom struggle.
Today, Parliament is holding a debate on its 150th anniversary. In the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will initiate the discussion on behalf of the government. The ruling BJP has stated that the talks will 'expose' former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, whom they accuse of 'omitting' stanzas from the song. The opposition Congress, in turn, has accused the BJP of 'insulting' the stalwarts present at the 1937 Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting where the resolution was adopted. The 1937 CWC resolution stated that only the first two paragraphs should be sung at gatherings, as they were an 'inseparable part of our national movement,' while the rest could be omitted as they were 'little known' and 'contain certain allusions and a religious ideology.'
In the Rajya Sabha, Home Minister Amit Shah and JP Nadda will open the corresponding debate, with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi lined up for key interventions. The discussion is part of year-long commemorations. With ongoing accusations between political parties, the sessions are likely to witness heated exchanges.
