Vande Mataram row created by those who framed it as 'Hindu-only' anthem: DMK MP A Raja

NEW DELHI: DMK MP A Raja on Monday claimed that historically documented events show that Vande Mataram was projected in ways that excluded Muslims in the early 20th century, arguing that the controversy surrounding the song was not created by the community but by those who framed it as a “Hindu-only” anthem.

Participating in a Lok Sabha discussion marking 150 years of Vande Mataram, Raja said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech prompted “four fundamental questions” in his mind.

“The prime minister asked who did the division in Vande Mataram. I want to know – did the division in Vande Mataram lead to the division of the country? And if the prime minister says a crucial aspect must be dealt with today, what exactly is that crucial division we need to understand now?” he asked.

Raja said the prime minister also claimed that a “thinking of division” still exists in India.

Paraphrasing the remark, Raja said, “If the prime minister claims such divisive thinking persists even today, I want to ask this House – where is it, and with whom?”

The final question, he added, was: “What is the original dream of Vande Mataram? These questions came to my mind out of the prime minister’s speech.”

Claiming that criticism of Vande Mataram existed since the early 20th century, Raja said, “There are reasons to believe or conclude that Vande Mataram was not only against the British exclusively, but also against Muslims.”

Quoting historian R C Majumdar, he added: “‘Bankim Chandra converted patriotism into religion and religion into patriotism’. These were criticisms made in those days, and I cannot be a party to such an approach.”

“In 1907, anonymous pamphlets printed on lurid red paper were distributed, claiming that Muslims should not sing Vande Mataram and should not join the Swadeshi movement,” Raja said, adding that several such incidents occurred between 1902 and 1915.

He noted that even the British Parliament debated the issue.

“The House of Commons discussed in 1907 why Vande Mataram created communal conflict and who was responsible. According to those discussions, the fault was not with the song but with those who said it was meant only for Hindus and that Muslims were prohibited from joining the (freedom) struggle,” Raja said.

“The prime minister asks who did the division – the division was done by your forefathers, not by Muslims,” he added.

At this point, House Chair Dilip Saikia intervened, objecting to the phrasing.

“What do you mean by your forefathers? It should be our forefathers,” he said.

As Raja continued, Saikia remarked that he was “doing the post-mortem of Vande Mataram”, prompting protests from the DMK member, who insisted he was citing historically documented debates.

Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghish Dastidar, who spoke in Bengali, said Vande Mataram is not only India’s national song but also a legacy that millions sang to fuel the Independence struggle.

Those in power today often fail to grasp this sentiment, she said.

“Veer Savarkar, for instance, wrote mercy petitions while in jail, securing his own freedom. At that time, 398 Bengalis out of 585 prisoners in the Cellular Jail devoted themselves to India's Independence, putting aside their own pursuit of freedom. While young Khudiram Bose sacrificed his life, the ancestors of today’s ruling party were busy writing mercy petitions,” Dastidar said.

“Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay as ‘Bankim Da’, creating the impression that he was having a casual conversation with the literary icon at a local tea shop.

“Bengalis will not tolerate the belittling of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, just as they did not tolerate the disrespect shown to Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar when his bust was vandalised,” she said.

“We demand justice for the disrespect meted out to Bengal. Bengalis know how to stand up and fight. Jai Hind was popularised by Netaji (Subhas Chandra Bose), and Jana Gana Mana, our national anthem, was composed by Rabindranath Tagore, which was disrespected by their (BJP) MP, Vishweshwar Hegde. The sense of patriotism runs deep among Bengalis, and such disrespect will never be tolerated,” Dastidar added.