Kumar Bahukhandi
Congress appeasement damaged Vande Mataram, contributed to Partition: Rajnath Singh-Photo Credit-IANS
During the discussion on Vande Mataram in the winter session, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that Vande Mataram gave immense strength to our freedom fighters to fight against the British Empire. The Vande Mataram song awakened our India, which had been dormant for centuries.
‘Vande Mataram was not just a word, it was an emotion’
During the discussion on Vande Mataram, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that today, as we celebrate 150 years of Vande Mataram, PM Modi has spoken about it and initiated a beautiful discussion. Vande Mataram is a part of India’s present, past, and future. It gave our freedom fighters the strength to stand up and fight against the British rulers. It is a song that awakened our country and became a source of inspiration. This song even reached the British Parliament.
Rajnath Singh said that in 1906, the first Indian flag was designed, and Vande Mataram was written in the middle of that flag, which was first hoisted in Bengal. In August 1906, a newspaper named Vande Mataram was also launched to spread awareness among the people. This was a time when Vande Mataram was not just a word, it was an emotion, a source of inspiration, and a poem. Rajnath Singh said that Vande Mataram was not limited to Bengal; it was used from east to west, and not only in India, but people outside India also sang it.
Rajnath Singh also explained the lines of Vande Mataram, referring to the culture of Bengal. He said that nowhere in this composition by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay is there any emphasis on idol worship. He said that Vande Mataram was used for appeasement. Rajnath Singh, referring to the current government’s slogan – “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, and Sabka Vishwas” (Together with all, development for all, and trust of all) – said, “We have worked with this spirit.” However, during the freedom movement, the anxiety of some so-called secular people in the Congress party had increased to such an extent that anything related to Indian culture, tradition, and great civilization seemed communal to them. Vande Mataram also became a victim of this.
Vande Mataram was marginalised after independence – Rajnath Singh
Rajnath Singh said that Vande Mataram did not receive the justice it deserved. Jana Gana Mana became ingrained in the national consciousness, but Vande Mataram was suppressed. Everyone should know about the injustice done to Vande Mataram. A great deception of history was perpetrated against Vande Mataram. Despite this injustice, the importance of Vande Mataram has never diminished. Vande Mataram is complete in itself, but attempts were made to make it incomplete. Restoring Vande Mataram to its former glory is the need of the hour. After independence, Vande Mataram was marginalized. Vande Mataram did not receive the justice it deserved. Rajnath Singh said, “Under the leadership of PM Modi, I want to say that we will celebrate the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram and give it the status it deserves.”
During his speech, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh mentioned an incident related to Pandit Nehru. Referring to an incident from history cited in a book, he said that in a high-level meeting of the Ministry of External Affairs in the presence of Pandit Nehru, he was asked what would happen to the government machinery if the communists came to power at the center tomorrow? Nehru replied irritably, “The threat to India is not communism. The threat is Hindu right-wing communalism.” Rajnath Singh claimed that if anyone needed proof, he was ready to provide the details and evidence from the book. He said, “Unfortunately, Nehru did not live to see that those same right-wing people worked in accordance with the Constitution.” The Defense Minister leveled allegations of appeasement against Pandit Nehru and the Congress party.
He said that countless generations have been ruined due to left-wing extremism born out of communist ideology. Many parts of the country lagged behind in development. Previous governments could not find a solution to this problem of Naxalism or left-wing extremism. PM Modi found a solution, and today, under his leadership, left-wing extremism is on its last legs.
Rajnath Singh said, “It is a great irony that the communist ideology, which chose the path of violence to gain power in many countries, was not considered a threat, while the ideology that believes in the spirit of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family) was considered a threat. This was not just ordinary thinking, but a prejudice that gave rise to the politics of appeasement, and deprived minority community refugees from some neighboring countries of their rights for decades. This is also why Muslim women were denied equal rights. This politics of appeasement led to the partition of the country, and today many families in West Bengal are being forced to migrate.”
