150th Anniversary of The Indian National Song The “Vande Mataram”
A song most feared by the British rulers during the freedom struggle of India
Far from being a fearsome song, “Vande Mataram” is a strikingly beautiful poem and a literary masterpiece. The song does not even hint of being against anyone. It has only love and appreciation for the bounties of nature bestowed to a motherland, a motherland that gives these bounties to her children like a benevolent goddess who grants boons and saves her children from getting harmed. However it irked British rulers no end and made them fearful at a mere mention of the word-pair the “Vande Mataram”.
Yes, Britain had indeed some good reasons to be scared. Therefore, uttering just those two words, invited penal action under Section 124A (Sedition) of Colonial British law on Indians in force until India secured her independence.
Reason, why “Vande Mataram” was selected as the “National Song”
The song had successfully mobilised millions of freedom fighters against the colonial rulers.
No wonder, therefore, that the song was recognized as eminently suitable to be adopted as the “National Song” of Independent India. As an added qualification the song was a literary masterpiece and could be sung in a very elegant and solemn tune. Recognizing these attributes, the sovereign Independent government of India declared this iconic song as a “National Song” in the year 1950. Maybe I should have written about it then. Sadly, I was not even born then. However, now an occasion has presented itself to justify my writing about it now - the occasion is its 150th anniversary and recent promulgation of new singing protocols. Also further declaration that the entire year 2025-2026 be celebrated as “The Year of Vande Mataram”.
This celebration brings alive many memories, including the predicament of my own mother when she was repeatedly caught red-handed, shouting “vande Mataram” in her student days. She felt a sense of duty to resist colonizers in whatever way she could. Shouting “Vande Mataram” in and around her school seemed a doable way to express rebellion. She was hardly 12. The thrill of adventure and blatant defiance of the colonial masters was immensely satisfying even if it was invariably followed by scoldings and threats. At last the school authorities decided to depute a teacher to meet the parents. That teacher also doubled as a nun in the local church. One fine day she visited home (my grandfather’s home) for a more effective persuasion to desist her from repeating the offence. The nun-cum-teacher taught sewing and making stuffed toys in the school and my mom was her favorite student. Normally a loving woman, on that occasion she appeared very stern. With all the elders sitting in front of her, in a harsh tone, explained, how damaging would it be for the dad and the grand dad (who were employed by the British Government as Doctors) if they were to lose their jobs because of their daughter's impertinence, even if the expression “Vande Mataram” simply means that “Mother, I bow to thee” and nothing really offensive.
What is this song, “Vande Mataram” and from where is it sourced?
“Vande Mataram” is a prayer song dedicated to the motherland. It evokes patriotism. It is written by a Bengali writer, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, also known by his anglicised name as Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. The song is a part of his seminal historic novel, the “Anand Math”. Although the song forms a very tiny part of the whole novel, it is an important and integral part of that literary work, the “Anand Math”. Before bringing it out as a book, initially, the story was published in a 7th November 1875 issue of a Bengali literary magazine “Banga Darshan”. The novel has exquisitive verbal imagery and its language is rich and evocative. Although it was first published in 1875, the song actually became a rage in 1905 and thereafter when the British government had decided to split the original Bengal state in two parts. The “East Bengal” and the “West Bengal”. The song had electrified Indian masses and had mobilized them to come out on the streets to protest against the British. Leave alone the full 6-stanza song, mere two words, “Vande Mataram”, were enough to offend the British, invite police action and prosecution. Many Indians had lost their lives, faced imprisonment, and been subjected to a lot of direct and indirect punishments.
In its early days of adoption as “National Song” only the first two stanzas were traditionally sung by most. Only some very patriotic citizens used to sing all six. However, with the new notification, the singing protocol is now standardized to the singing of all six stanzas just as its creator Bankin Chandra had meant. The novel “Anand Math” was so captivating that it was brought to the screen in the year 1952, shortly after India’s independence, under its original title.
Content of Historic Fiction Novel “Anand Math”
Far away from the maddening crowds, a monastery existed in the seclusion of a forest in Bengal. That monastery was known as “Anand Math” where renunciate Hindu monks spent time in silent contemplation and prayers and devoted themselves in study. However certain heartless British actions against villagers living in a nearby village stirred them up to core. Empathic monks rebelled against the British for the rights of innocent villagers. It was this selfless act of the monks that culminated into a “monks’ rebellion”. The story of “Anand Math” is a story of righteous rebels.
Why India is celebrating the year 2025-2026 as “The Year of Vande Mataram”
The year 2025-2026 marks the 150th year since the first ever publication of the song “Vande Mataram”. The celebration began on 7th November 2025 and will last till 7th November 2026.
What spooked the colonial rulers? What made Britishers to fear from “Vande Mataram”
It was neither the words, nor the message conveyed through the song “Vande Mataram”. But it was the context in which the song was played that made Britain very fearful. The song “Vande Mataram" is shown in the novel “Anand Math”, as a prayer to the Mother land and was recited by revolutionaries every time they came out of hiding for attacking the British icons of power. The song became a rallying cry that galvanized the freedom struggle, electrified freedom fighters and inspired every Indian, young and old, to defy colonial power even at the cost of personal sacrifice, even life. Freedom fighters who were sentenced to death went to gallows shouting “Vande Mataram”.
The song “Vande Mataram” contained in the novel “Anand Math” represented revolt against British hegemonic colonial power. They found the song to be too dangerous and feared consequent unrest and serious rise of rebelliousness among the Indian population would make governance difficult. Obviously, the book “Anand Math” and the song “Vande Mataram” were both strictly forbidden during British rule.
And their fear did come true and eventually on 15th August 1947, they had to give up India, they lost what they had proudly described as “The Jewel in the Crown”.
Can a literary masterpiece ever become an instrument of revolution and a successful freedom struggle?
Many literary masterpieces have inspired people to seek reformations in society. The books like “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, “1984”, “Animal Farm”, etc did inspire political movements, but none have culminated in a fierce independence movement that dethroned world’s leading power, as powerful as the British Empire, that boasted the “sun never sets on the Empire”. The Novel “Anand Math” turned out to be one such book. Apparently there was a substantial number of people who could read and write and enjoy good quality literature in India before the British gained full control over India and willfully destroyed India’s Education system. What else can explain a piece of literature becoming a catalyst of freedom from a mighty empire? The British had created a myth of “poor uneducated Indians”. But the fact remains that many Indians read and were inspired to revolt against colonizers. Besides the elite leaders, the simple villagers, farmers and penniless sadhus had brought about freedom. They were all volunteers. “Anand Math” is a story of those people.
The new education system introduced by the British officer Thomas Macaulay (1800-1859) and banning of indigenous Indian education system is considered to be primarily responsible for the total annihilation of indigenous system. British rule brought down literacy rate from nearly 100% to mere 12% at the end of British rule.
The song “Vande Mataram” remained a most popular expression of Patriotism for Indians from the days of freedom struggle and still remains to this day.
What is the content of the song “Vande Mataram”? Is it seditious?
The song “Vande Mataram” has intrinsically nothing seditious, provocative, incendiary or hateful towards anyone, leave alone British. On the contrary, lyrics describe Mother Land (India) as a beautiful land of plenty and a bestower of bounty to her children. However, because the song was sung in a novel in the backdrop of revolt against the oppressive and dishonest British rule it began to look threatening and potentially seditious to the colonizing power.
Universal acceptability of “Vande Mataram” song
As the Indian culture has, since ancient times, seen the world as one family, her literature has a unique quality of creating anything and everything with everyone in this world as opposed to limiting it to narrow interest of a particular country, race or creed. It does not profess wealth for India alone or health for India alone but her prayer is always meant for everyone in the world. The song “Vande Mataram” is also written in the same spirit, country neutral-meant for everyone in the world. This masterpiece song can be adopted by any country without modification or customization. The song is likeable to anyone and truly suitable to be applicable to any country that wishes to adopt it as their own because it does not demonise anyone or any country, just expresses lavish praise for one’s own country. In other words, if an American or a Frenchman or an Englishman was to visualize their respective countries as mother land through the lens of “Vande Mataram” imagery, they too would feel included and would want to own up the song for their country. Even the mention of Goddesses Saraswati, Laxmi and Durga therein the song is used in the sense of holding the motherland in the highest esteem - almost godly reverence - to the motherland. Indians place Motherland at a higher pedestal, above even heaven.
Free and boisterous sloganeering of “Vande Mataram” on the first independence day. Extract from my mom’s diary of 15th August 1947
The freedom fighters had a field day shouting “Vande Mataram” on the streets the moment Independence was declared on 15th August 1947. My mom noted in her diary that on that day, she was in Akola town (in the current state of Maharashtra). The people were ecstatic with the declaration of independence, they roamed the streets of cities tirelessly shouting “Vande Mataram”. It was a rainy and stormy night with lightning and thunder and yet it was as if no one took any notice of the storm. Everyone was on the streets and no one wanted to go home. There was no night on the night of Independence day. She and her friends did not want to end the celebration.That was the excitement on 15th August 1947. “Vande Mataram” slogans kept ringing all night.
---- ---- ---- ----
