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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’