150 Years of Vande Mataram: History, Evolution, and National Significance Explained

Vande Mataram Latest News

• Parliament held a special discussion to mark 150 years of Vande Mataram, a song deeply woven into India’s freedom movement yet continuously debated for its religious imagery and political interpretations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the Lok Sabha debate on this.
• The commemoration comes amid fresh political contention over the song’s origins, symbolism, and the decisions made by national leaders regarding its usage. 
• Once a patriotic hymn in Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay’s novel, Vande Mataram evolved into a rallying cry for nationalism, though concerns over its later stanzas led the Congress in 1937 to officially adopt only the first two.
• In the Constituent Assembly, the song was ultimately accorded “equal honour and status” with the National Anthem.

Origins of Vande Mataram

• According to a historical account cited by the PIB, Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay composed Vande Mataram around 1875. 
• The song gained prominence when his novel Anandamath was serialized in Bangadarshan magazine in 1881.
• Sri Aurobindo wrote in Bande Mataram (1907) that the hymn captured the spirit of patriotic devotion.

Literary Context: Anandamath

• Anandamath tells the story of the Santanas, ascetic warriors committed to liberating the motherland from oppression. 
• Their loyalty is to Bharat Mata, represented as a personified motherland rather than a religious deity.

Symbolism of the Three Mothers

• In the Santanas’ temple, three forms of the Mother are depicted:
  • The Mother That Was – powerful and magnificent
  • The Mother That Is – weakened and suffering
  • The Mother That Will Be – rejuvenated and triumphant
• These images symbolised India’s past glory, present subjugation, and envisioned future resurgence.

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From song to slogan: Birth of a nationalist cry

• By the early 20th century, Vande Mataram transformed from a literary hymn into one of the most powerful rallying cries of India’s nationalist movement.

Central Role in the Swadeshi and Anti-Partition Movement

• After Lord Curzon’s 1905 partition of Bengal, the song became the emotional and political heartbeat of mass resistance.
• It energised:
  • Boycott campaigns
  • Protest marches
  • Newspapers and political groups adopting its name
• A historic moment came in 1906 at Barisal, where over 10,000 Hindus and Muslims marched together shouting Vande Mataram, demonstrating its early inclusive appeal.
• Key leaders who popularised it included:
  • Rabindranath Tagore
  • Bipin Chandra Pal
  • Sri Aurobindo, whose writings elevated the phrase into a spiritual and political call for self-rule.

Colonial Repression Against the Slogan

• Worried by its ability to mobilise masses, the British authorities attempted to suppress it by:
  • Fining students
  • Conducting police lathi-charges
  • Banning public marches
  • Threatening expulsion from schools and colleges
• Across Bengal and the Bombay Presidency, chanting Vande Mataram became an act of bold nationalist defiance.

Vande Mataram on the Global Stage

• In 1907, Madam Bhikaji Cama unfurled the first Indian tricolour at Stuttgart, with Vande Mataram written across it — marking its symbolic arrival on the international platform.

The song and the Indian National Congress

• The Indian National Congress not only appreciated Vande Mataram culturally but also adopted it formally in its national ceremonies.

1896: Tagore’s Iconic Rendition

• At the Calcutta Congress session, Rabindranath Tagore sang Vande Mataram, giving the song national prominence and embedding it in the Congress’s cultural identity.

1905: Formal Adoption During the Swadeshi Movement

• In Varanasi, the Congress formally adopted Vande Mataram for all-India events.
• This came at the height of the anti-partition protests, when the song had already become the anthem of political awakening throughout the country.

1937: Congress Working Committee Removes Later Stanzas

• By the 1930s, debates over the song’s Hindu goddess imagery became more pronounced.
• To maintain a broad, inclusive national movement, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) decided in 1937 to use only the first two stanzas, which were considered free of sectarian symbolism.
• Muslim leaders had objected to the later stanzas, arguing they evoked explicitly religious imagery inappropriate for a national movement meant to represent all communities.

Constituent Assembly’s Resolution: Equal Status for Vande Mataram (1950)

• In 1950, the Constituent Assembly faced no conflict between Jana Gana Mana and Vande Mataram when deciding national symbols.
• On January 24, 1950, Assembly President Dr. Rajendra Prasad formally declared:
  • Jana Gana Mana would be the National Anthem.
  • Vande Mataram, due to its historic significance in the freedom struggle, would receive equal honour and status.
• The announcement was met with applause and no objections from any member.
• This dual recognition balanced inclusivity with historical reverence—preserving national unity through the anthem while enshrining Vande Mataram as a pillar of India’s independence movement.

Source: ToI | IE | IT