Vande Mataram-Views of a patriotic Indian

The singing of the great national song Vande Mataram has been unnecessarily made in to a controversy by the Useless Pathetic Alliance (UPA) just for the sake of votes & to prove its “secular” credentials. It is unfortunate that a section of the Muslim community has given a communal Colour to this beautiful song since the beginning. The constituent assembly consisting of Muslim members also, has unanimously passed a resolution to give an equal status for this song with that of the National Anthem. This song was used to stir the soul of the nation by kindling the patriotism in the minds of the people irrespective of caste, creed or colour. The freedom was fought & earned not only for Hindu majority, but also for the minorities and while enjoying that freedom, it becomes the duty & responsibility of all the Indians to give respect to the various causes of the freedom. The national song Vande Mataram is one among such causes.

This song is a great salutation to our Mother Land and it should not be considered as worship in the religious sense, especially after the removal of the verses referring to Hindu Goddesses. Even during my school days, many of our Muslim schoolmates used to sing this song along with us whenever it was played. Let us not forget the fact that A.R.Rahman, a Muslim, has taken the song to newer heights world over in a different tune through a pop album. I am also sure that the likes of Mohammed Kaif & Irfan Pathan would love to sing this song. The BJP leader Mukthar Abbas Naqvi has no hesitation in singing this song. An AIMPLB member, in a TV debate, has said that those Muslims who sing this song are ‘Non-believers’ (Infidels) as per the tenets of their religion. Does it mean that Rahman, Naqvi, Kaif, Pathan & all my Muslim schoolmates are non-believers & that they have insulted Allah? In that case, will the Muslim Clerics accept the fact that the same tenets have advised them to wage a Jihad against the non-believers? Will they accept that their religion doesn’t preach peace? It is hard to believe that a religion, which is supposedly preaching peace, will prohibit its people from saluting their Mother Land. It is high time the clerics in India change their mindset & attitude & join the mainstream of India, after all their ancestors were Hindus.  

It is also an absurd thinking of those who ask the stupid question, “Should singing Vande Mataram be equated to patriotism?” Singing this national song, which was given equal status to the National Anthem that too during its centenary year, should be taken as a golden opportunity to exhibit one’s patriotism. We may be patriotic in our mind, but how many times we act as per our patriotic feelings in our day to day life? We come across a lot of people, who do not even stand in attention when the National Anthem is played. It is a great mistake on the part of successive governments since independence not to enforce the singing of Vande Mataram mandatory in all educational & government institutions during the daily morning prayers. Had that been done, an unnecessary controversy could have been avoided now. While the majority of Muslims have no objections to sing the national song, it is condemnable that many schools & colleges belonging to the community have remained closed on the 7 ^th of September, just to avoid this song and it is more condemnable that such an action was appreciated as a “clever” move by our “secular” TV channels. Also, it is shockingly sad & extremely unfortunate that even the Sikh community is divided (for the first time in history) on this issue due to the politicization of it by the Congress government. Ironically, in West Bengal, which is the birth place of this great song, which has got more acquaintance with this song & which has produced a lot of freedom fighters, the government has made singing it optional. Barring BJP ruled states & Orissa; all the other states have made it optional. Except BJP & in a very few states by Congress, no other party has made arrangements for the recital of the song in their respective party offices.   

 It seems many people are not aware of the history of the great national song Vande Mataram. When it comes to praising or thanking the Mother Nation, it is totally irrelevant whether one is a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian or a Sikh or an Atheist. Religion does not play a role in the matters concerning Nation. It is the Constitution that matters and the constituent assembly has clearly given an equal status of the National Anthem to Vande Mataram. It is really sad & unfortunate that certain sections of minorities have refrained from singing only the first two stanzas (which have no reference to Hindu Goddesses) thereby losing a very good opportunity of expressing their unity & solidarity with the rest of the country. When the Muslims in Germany & France can sing the respective national anthems, which praise their countries as “Father Nation”, why can’t they sing two lines of Vande Mataram, which hails our nation as a Mother Country? Leave alone the freedom struggle and let us view it in a different angle. When we are surviving by eating the vegetations produced by this land & when we are drinking the water, which comes out of this land and when this land tolerates all our spoils & takes care of us like its children, what is the harm in singing & praising this land as our Mother? Right thinking people would understand that there is nothing religious or communal about Vande Mataram and nothing “right” would come out of a “left (ist)” mind or a “fundamentalist” mind or a “foreign” mind.  

 The centenary of Vande Mataram need not have been celebrated in an atmosphere of animosity & controversy. It is really an insult to the nation. The Congress & other vote bank chasing pseudo secular political parties should take the blame for this unwanted situation, which has put a question mark on the unity & integrity of this great nation. The onus lies on “us” to reach out to the next generation and make them aware of the history & importance of Vande Mataram, so that, the national spirit & patriotism is instilled in their minds. Jai Hind!