New Delhi, Nov 7: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah Friday addressed a celebration in Patna, Bihar, marking 150 years of the national song ‘Vande Mataram.
Amit Shah also led the collective recitation of the Swadeshi pledge. The event was attended by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and several other dignitaries.
In his address on the occasion, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah said that today is a day of awakening Indian consciousness because 150 years ago, on this very day, great freedom fighter and renowned literary figure Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay penned ‘Vande Mataram.’ He said that Bankim Chandra, through this song, gave the nation a great mantra of national consciousness, which later became the proclamation and guiding principle of India’s freedom struggle and, after independence, a reason to unite the country. Shah added that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the collective efforts of the nation over the past 11 years have accomplished many tasks toward fulfilling the dreams of a great India envisioned by our freedom fighters.
Amit Shah said that with the collective singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ today, a phased effort has begun to reawaken India’s consciousness over the next year. He emphasized that a nationwide campaign will be launched to align our lives with the mantra and spirit of ‘Vande Mataram.’ This campaign will be conducted in both physical and digital formats. Shah announced that a social media campaign named ‘#VandeMataram150’ will be launched in all languages, encouraging people to write ‘Vande Mataram’ in all regional languages to strengthen national unity.
Union Home Minister said that on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of ‘Vande Mataram,’ the government has organized several programs. He said that various political parties, voluntary organizations, and people participating in the festival of reawakening the nation’s consciousness have also organized numerous events.
He said that ‘Vande Mataram’ is, in a way, a part of the novel Anandamath, which later became the proclamation of the freedom movement. Shah added that when the Indian hockey team collectively sang ‘Vande Mataram’ before the hockey final at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, it became certain that when our country attained independence, this song would not merely be a political slogan but would serve as an inspiration to keep the nation united and ignite patriotism forever.
Amit Shah said that on August 15, 1947, at the behest of Sardar Patel, Pandit Omkarnath Thakur sang the complete ‘Vande Mataram,’ resonating with the first heartbeat of a free India. He said that on January 24, 1950, during the final session of the Constituent Assembly, Dr. Rajendra Prasad accepted ‘Vande Mataram’ as the national song, paving the way for its revered acceptance by the nation. He added that from that moment, ‘Vande Mataram’ became a song of national consciousness for all of us, and today marks the celebration of its 150th anniversary.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that we must also understand the period in which Vande Mataram was written. He said that in 1875, after the long subjugation under the Mughals, the era of British rule had begun. At that time, the First War of Independence had also failed, and there was apprehension in the minds of people across the country about whether our national consciousness would awaken again. Shah said that at that time, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee composed this great hymn of national consciousness, which became the first proclamation of our cultural nationalism. He said that Vande Mataram makes it clear that India is not just a piece of land, but an idea and a culture that binds and unites all Indians.
Amit Shah said that our party has always emphasized cultural nationalism, and the very consciousness of the idea of cultural nationalism must have been inspired by the song Vande Mataram. He said that many of our freedom-loving revolutionaries went to the gallows with a smile, chanting Vande Mataram. He added that the time has now come to build the India envisioned and desired by all those great souls. Shah said that the period from today until 2047 is the time to draw inspiration from Vande Mataram and create a great India.
Union Home Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also participated in the collective singing of Vande Mataram in Delhi. He said that at such a moment, all of us have resolved that the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram also dedicated to swadeshi.
He said that building a self-reliant India is not possible without swadeshi. Shah urged the countrymen to take a pledge to adopt Swadeshi on the 150th anniversary of ‘Vande Mataram’. The Home Minister said that we should all resolve to join the process of making India a great nation by 2047 and take a pledge today to once again dedicate our lives to Bharat Mata.
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