150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’

Why in News?

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) Organises Mass Singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ to Mark 150 Years anniversary of the iconic National Song.

• "Vande Mataram" is India's national song, a powerful patriotic hymn that translates to "I bow to thee, Mother".
• Composer - Written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in Sanskritised Bengali in 1875.
• Literary Origin - It was included in his Bengali novel Anandamath, published in 1882, which depicted the struggle for independence against British rule.

Anandamath is a historical novel written against the backdrop of the devastating Bengal famine of 1770 and the Sannyasi Rebellion against British rule.

• Historical Role – It was the rallying cry of freedom fighters during the struggle for independence.
• The song served as a vital emblem of resistance and a unifying force, chanted during mass protests and political assemblies.
• The song particularly sung during the Swadeshi movement and the anti-partition of Bengal movement in the early 20th century.
• Use of Vande Mataram during the Partition of Bengal - In 1905, Vande Mataram was an important part of the protests against the partition of Bengal.
• In 1906, a massive rally was conducted at Calcutta Town Hall to protest against the partition.
• Legend says Lord Curzon asked 40,000 people to participate in the meeting, and all of them sang Vande Mataram there.
• Lord Curzon later ordered the police to arrest anyone who sang the song.
• Philosophers like Aurobindo Ghose believed that Vande Mataram's blessings carried divine strength for India's freedom fighters.
• Vande Mataram Movement in Gulbarga – It is said to be a significant moment in the history of the Hyderabad-Karnataka Freedom Struggle.
• Vande Mataram was always a symbol of resistance against Nizam's rule.
• Historical leaders like Dr. Sharanabasappa, Dargah Qadeer, and Gulbarga University students participated actively.
• First Sung By - The song was first publicly sung by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress in Kolkata.
• Constitutional Status - On January 24, 1950, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the first 2 stanzas of the song as the National Song of India.
• It is granted as equal status with the national anthem, "Jana Gana Mana".
• Significance - Played a crucial role in mobilising masses during the freedom struggle.

Reference

PIB | Mass Singing of ‘Vande Mataram’