Poonam I Kaushish
Much ado about nothing! That is the sum total of another petition in Delhi High Court last week to grant equal respect to the beautiful and melodious national song Vande Mataram as given to national anthem Jana Gana Mana. But like the proverbial bad penny it continues to pop up intermittently, notwithstanding, that this issue has been dealt with thrice earlier.
Albeit with a rider: Frame guidelines for the national song, giving it the same honour and status at par with the national anthem. In its response, the Centre underscored the national song occupies a unique and special place in peoples’ emotions and psyche and both have their sanctity and stand on equal footing.
It’s reply was based on Supreme Court’s order February 2017, which averred Article 51A (a) does not refer to ‘national song’ but only to the national flag and national anthem and the court would not enter into debate on the national song. Pointing out that in November 1950, President of the Constituent Assembly adopted Jana Gana Mana as the national anthem and orders were issued regarding the manner and circumstances in which it has to be played or sung.
However, similar penal provisions were not made vis-à-vis Vande Mataram and no instructions issued laying down circumstances in which it may be sung or played, In fact, in 1971 the action of prevention of singing of national anthem or causing disturbances to any assembly engaged in such singing was made punishable offence by way of an Enactment of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
To be fair, perhaps, the petitioner was only taking a leaf from the Constituent Assembly debate on 24 January 1950 which resolved that Vande Mataram would enjoy “equal status” with Jana Gana Mana. Given it ignited patriotism, galvanised Indians to gang up against the British, threw out the firangis and won India its freedom
But many assert that the national song is just another prop to celebrate the nation State and undue importance mustn’t be given to it. Others aver that singing Vande Mataram must neither be made a test case of patriotism nor should people be obstinate about not singing it. Though it is compulsorily played at the end of every Parliament session.
Remember, the UPA Government had got into an unseemly controversy when the Education Ministry issued an innocuous order to all State Governments in August 2006, making singing of Vande Mataram compulsory in all schools on 7 September to mark completion of its centenary celebrations as national song. Little realizing, that it would have Muslims up in arms and lead to a cacophony of discordant political notes.
UP’s Muslim clerics opposed it by asserting singing it was anti-Islamic and amounted to worshipping the motherland. This went against the concept of tawheed (oneness of God), according to which a Muslim cannot supplicate to anyone except Allah. Expectedly, the Government retracted the order, making the song’s recitation voluntary.
Again in 2009 the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind (JUH) out of the blue issued a fatwa against singing Vande Mataram. In a resolution at UP’s Deoband clerics reiterated their 2006 position. Adding, patriotism didn’t require singing it in schools.
Pertinently, set in 19th Century India, Vande Mataram was written in 1875 and published for the first time in Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s novel, Anandamatha in 1882. The story starts with a group of sadhus who call themselves santan, the children of Bharat Mata whose leader Satyanand is imprisoned by the Nawab. The sadhus vow to set their guru free, shout that they would throw the Muslims into the river and set their houses on fire. They not only succeed in freeing their guru but welcome British rule in India. Succinctly, atrocities against Muslims, is a recurrent theme in the novel.
When Bengal was ravaged by 1770 famine, then under de facto rule of East India Company, it forced farmers to cultivate neel (cloth whitener) instead of food grains as it was a big export earner. But its cultivation made fields uncultivable for the next crop, triggering an anti-gora peasant revolt.
From fields to streets, Vande Mataram soon became the popular battle cry for freedom from British Raj. Large rallies were held shouting it across the country, many were jailed and the song was banned. But it failed to stop the patriotic fervour. Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore sang it in 1896 at the Calcutta Congress Session and Lala Lajpat Rai started a journal called Vande Mataram from Lahore.
The Congress formally adopted it as national song at its Varanasi Session on 7 September 1905. Thereafter, it became the opening note for all Congress meetings and sessions. Subhash Chandra Bose made it the Indian National Army’s principal song and his Singapore-based radio station regularly broadcast it.
In October 1937, some Muslim leaders objected to Vande Mataram on grounds that it contained verses that were in direct conflict with Islam. True, the first two stanzas of the hymn eulogise Mother India and its beautiful natural bounties with “hurrying streams, gleaming orchards…..”
But the fourth stanza addressed Mother India as, “Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen, with her hands that strike and her swords of sheen, Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned….” which was against Islamic tenets.
Nehru understood Muslims religious predicament even as he accentuated the hymn’s national importance in the freedom struggle. The Congress Working Committee in Kolkata in 1937 under Nehru’s Presidentship adopted a resolution, whereby only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram would be sung. Alongside, organisers had freedom to sing any song of unobjectionable character, in addition to, or in the place of Vande Mataram.
Interestingly, while Vande Mataram was treated as India’s national anthem for long, Jana Gana Mana was chosen as national anthem following Independence as Muslims felt offended by India’s depiction as Goddess Ma Durga- thus equating the nation with the Hindu concept of Shakti. Also objectionable was it was part of Anandamatha, a novel with an anti-Muslim message.
In the ultimate we need to realize that India’s multi-pluralistic character, pulsating democracy and civil society is neither rigid nor frozen in time. It is constantly evolving. True, two songs cannot make or mar the future of a nation or its people, even as we respect Vande Mataram as our national song and symbol of national pride, on par with Jana Gana Mana. High time this frivolous and needless controversy is put to rest once and for all. There are more pressing issues which need our leaders and judiciary’s attention. What says you? (INFA )
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