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Lets celebrate the 100 years of National Song

Sing VandeOMataram together

In 1905, the freedom movement had taken an organized shape and the same year country's politics took a new turn with the announcement of Swadeshi Movement on August 07, 1905 at Calcutta. The declaration of Swadeshi movement is completing its 100 years on August 07' 2005.

It may be recalled that the song of Vandemataram was adopted as National Song on September 07, 1905. On the occasion of completing 100 years of this historic occasion National Committee for the centenary celebration of Vandemataram.

With a view to creating awareness among students regarding national integration and love for the country, celebrate September 07 as Vandemataram Day.

Vande Mataram and its history

The national song of India, Vandemataram holds the constitutional status of national song considering its immense contribution in India's freedom movement. It has the same status as the national anthem Jana Gana Mana holds.

Late Shri Bankim Chandra Chatterjee composed the Vandemataram a poem (in Sanskrit) known for sublimity of thought dedicated to the glory of mother nation, on November 07, 1876 at the Kantal Pada village of Bengal. The Anandamatha was published in "Bang Darshan" magazine from 1880 to 1882. The song was included in his immortal novel Anandamath published in the book form in 1882.

Vandemataram had become an expression of nationalism for the patriots and revolutionaries who launched several movements and agitations against the oppressive British Rule drawing inspiration from the magic words of Vandemataram song. In fact, Vandemataram had become a symbol of India's freedom struggle. Great exponent of India classical music Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar played an important role in popularizing Vande Mataram during freedom movement. He began public recitation of Vandemataram from Lahore and sung it at many places all over the country. His presentation of Vandemataram was so charged with emotions that it used to thrill the listeners and arouse feelings of nationalism among them making them feel proud of the mother nation.

Dr. Ravindranath Tagore himself sung Vandemataram in 1896 session of Indian National Congress. It was the first political occasion when Vandemataram was sung in chorus. Dr. Ravindranath Tagore also set Vandemataram to music.

The Indian National Congress rehearsed Vandemataram in 1901 under the guidance of Dakshanrajan Sen. Smt. Sarla Devi Chaudharani, niece of Dr. Ravindranath Tagore sang Vandemataram in 1905 Congress Convention despite ban on its singing by the British Government.

In 1905, the freedom movement had taken an organized shape and the same year country's politics took a new turn with the announcement of Swadeshi Movement on August 07, 1905 at Calcutta. The British divided Bengal on October 16, 1905. Under the circumstances Vandemataram became people's song not only in Bengal but entire nation.

After 1915, it had become a tradition to begin every session of Indian National Congress with recitation of Vandemataram. The legacy still continues. Shri Subhash Chandra Bose had made Vandemataram the song of his Indian National Army and it was regularly broadcast from his Singapore radio station. A procession of patriots was canned at Calcutta due to recitation of Vandemataram on April 14, 1906. Maharshi Arvind, who was also in the procession, was injured in the canning. Maharshi translated into English the Vandemataram song.

Maharshi Arvind has mentioned in his "Mahayogi" that - " Vandemataram was an expression of nationalism. It quickly spread throughout India and was on the lips of millions." The Cambridge History of India describes Vandemataram as "the most greatest and most enduring gift of the Swadeshi movement". Shri B. N. Pande in his "A Book of India" writes, " Vandemataram, soon became the Merselillaise of the nationalist movement throughout India."

The prayer meetings of Mahatma Gandhi used to begin with Vandemataram. In 1937, the Congress working Committee appointed a sub committee of Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhsh Chandra Bose and Acharya Narendra Dev as members to review the eligibility of Vande Mataram to the status of national anthem. The committee was to take the guidance of Rabindra Nath Tagore. Finally, the Congress Working Committee ordered the same year that only first two stanzas of it should be sung. Later in Haripur Congress convention in 1938 for the first time only first two stanzas of Vandemataram were sung.

The Vandemataram has assumed a special role in unifying India for achieving freedom. People drew inspiration from this ode to the motherland and they raised strong voices against the British and forced them to leave Mother India. The energetic two words - Vandemataram instilled patriotic fervour into the minds and hearts of Indians and they came forward to save country's honour.

January 26, 1950 was set for the Indian Republic. National anthem was to be chosen before the election of the President of India. Objection was advanced about the Vandemataram that it was not suited to band music unlike the Jana Gana Mana.

On the controversy over Vande Mataram as national anthem Pandit Nehru said - "''It is unfortunate that some kind of argument has arisen between Vandemataram ' and 'Jana Gana Mana'. Vandemataram ' is obviously and indisputably the premier national song of India, with a great historical tradition, and intimately connected with our struggle for freedom. That position it is bound to retain and no other song can displace it. It represents the position and poignancy of that struggle. In regard to the national anthem tune, it was felt that the tune was more important than the words. It seemed therefore that while 'Vandemataram should continue to be the national song par excellence in India, the national anthem tune should be that of 'Jana Gana Mana'.

Dr Rajendra Prasad, who was presiding the Constituent Assembly on January 24 1950, made the following statement, which was also adopted as the final decision on the issue:

The composition consisting of words and music known as Jana Gana Mana is the National Anthem of India. The song Vandemataram, which has played a historic part in the struggle for Indian freedom, shall be honored equally with Jana Gana Mana and shall have equal status with it.

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ICYO salute to the inspiring and symbol of national freedom struggle, song and appear to all youth in India to stand up and sing together:

Vande Mataram!
Sujalam, suphalam, malayaja shitalam,
Shasyashyamalam, Mataram!
Shubhrajyothsna pulakitayaminim,
Phullakusumita drumadala shobhinim,
Suhasinim sumadhura bhashinim,
Sukhadam varadam, Mataram!

The English translation of the stanza rendered by Sri Aurobindo in
prose 1 is :

I bow to thee, Mother,
richly-watered, richly-fruited,
cool with the winds of the south,
dark with the crops of the harvests,
The Mother!
Her nights rejoicing in the glory of the moonlight,
her lands clothed beautifully with her trees in flowering bloom,
sweet of laughter, sweet of speech,
The Mother, giver of boons, giver of bliss.

(to listen the song, log on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-i8OKnCtiE&eurl= or http://grouper.com/video/MediaDetails.aspx?id=169121 )

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Issued by Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) to keep the spirit of Nationalism among the young people.

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Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO)

194-A, Arjun Nagar, Safdarjang Enclave

New Delhi 110029, India

Phone: 91 9811729093  / 91 11 26183978 Fax 91 11 26198423

Email: icyoindia@... / icyo@...

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Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is a registered non-profit, non-governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of mutual cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary agencies, youth groups, clubs and individuals working in the field of youth welfare in India. 

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