Song
For The Nation -
Vande Matram Controversy
By Ram Puniyani
31 August, 2006
Countercurrents.org
After
Arjun Singh, MHRD Minister clarified that singing of the (August 2006)
of Vande Matram is voluntary, on 7th September, the supposed centenary
year of this song, BJP went hammer and tongs blaming Congress for this
'appeasement' of minorities. In the meanwhile a section of Muslims had
protested that the song is asking for worship of deities other than
Allah, and that is something, which Islam does not permit.
One could see the charged
BJP members shouting Vande Matram in the upper house of the parliament,
led by Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. Various Hindutva ideologues gave a threat
that those who do not want to sing this song should leave the country.
BJP is planning to sing the song on its party head offices on that day.
Chattisgarh has already issued the circular to all the schools, including
the madrasas to sing this song on that day, and other BJP ruled states,
MP, Gujarat, and Rajasthan are on the way to issue the same. In MP the
singing of Vande Matram in the offices on every Monday has been implemented.
One recalls that in the aftermath of the Mumbai riots, the Shiv Sainiks
had asserted to the peace marchers that it is mandatory to sing Vande
Matram.
A section of Muslim clerics
including Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, have raised the objection to it
saying that Islam being monotheistic does not regard any other object
as god or goddess. It is likely that same may be the opinion of followers
of other monotheistic religions. For that matter all Muslims have not
opposed it. Also it should be clear that the later parts of the song
where the mother land is compared to Hindu goddesses was not accepted
as the part of national song, by the committee, which said that only
first two stanzas should be accepted as national song.
This is what constitutional
position is, and that too it was made clear that the singing of the
first two stanzas of the song is voluntary, not a compulsory one. Hinduism
being polytheistic, there is a plethora of gods and goddesses, though
the traditional 33 crore of them may be difficult to name, motherland
has been projected to be Durga in this song. One of the reasons for
the section of Muslims' opposing the singing of the song may be the
fact that so far Hindu right has been presenting the full song and not
just the first two stanzas which has the recognition as the national
song.
It is noteworthy that all
the Muslims may not hold similar opinion. Surely A. R. Rahman, the music
maestro has got this song into a beautiful catchy and popular tune.
Shahi Imam, who has opposed the move, has been very close to BJP and
has been repeatedly wooed by this party for electoral purposes to the
extent that in the last Lok Sabha elections, he went to issue the Fatwa
for the Muslims to vote for BJP. There is a reasonable deal of argument
not to accept to sing the full song by a section of Muslim population
due to its Hindu imagery. But if the matters are clarified that the
circular is only for the first two stanzas, the situation may be different.
The double standards of Hindutva lobby are very clear in this controversy.
In 1998, when UP Govt wanted to make it compulsory the then Prime minister,
Mr. Vajpayee opined against this move of UP Government.
RSS and the Hindutva family
are strongly hung up on this song, more so than the Jana Gana Mana,
the national anthem. After writing the first to stanzas of Vande matram,
Bankim Chndra Chatterjee expanded it in his novel Anand Math. Large
part of it is in Sanskrit, Devbhasha, and few stanzas are in Bengalee.
This has strong anti British and also pro Hindu over tones, due to which
it became popular in a section of population. The large secular movement
looked at it as for its anti British sentiments, while Hindutva sections
upheld it for the Hindu undertones and they used it as a battle cry
against the Muslims in the communal violence, who in turn resorted to
Allah-o-Akbar. It matched with the requirements of Hindutva movement
as here the nation is projected as a monolithic being, in the image
of Durga. The diversity and plurality, the core identity of the Indian
nation is no where visible in the song.
Jana Gana Mana, Vande matram
and Saare Jahan Se Achchha were the three national songs in the running
for the national anthem. Jana Gana Mana conveyed the rich diversity
and was acceptable to most states, due to which it was selected as national
anthem while Vande Matram, first two stanzas, was given the status of
national song. RSS family is using it to browbeat the minorities. By
now apart from its anti colonial stance it has been made as a weapon
to convey the anti minority sentiments. It is because of this reason
that RSS affiliates are pushing it with vehemence. It seems, after the
fatigue, which temple issue has acquired, that Vande matram may be the
major plank of RSS affiliates in their social and electoral battles.
Here it does not matter that even the national anthem cannot be imposed
on those who do not wish to sing that, as per the judgment of the court.
But surely for BJP, which is built around the identity issues, Ram Temple,
Civil code etc. it is a golden opportunity to latch on to Vande Matram
to see that maximum electoral mileage is achieved by pushing it forward.
Jana Gana Mana, which is
more acceptable to all, is purposely pushed back by these elements.
They are projecting it as having been written by Rabindranath Tagore
in praise of George V. This myth was created by the English media. In
1911 when GeorgeV visited India, Congress wanted to thank him for retracting
the British decision to partition Bengal. This was the first success
of swadeshi movement, the first modern anti colonial movement, which
had begun in 1905. On the same day two songs were sung, one written
by Tagore, Jana Gana Mana and the other that of one
Ramanuj Choudhary, who had composed the song especially for George V.
The English media was neither accurate nor serious about properly reporting
such events. So what got reported by the British media was that Tagore
song was sung in praise of George V.! As such, the intent and meaning
of what Rabindranth Tagore is referring to was correctly described by
a commentator in vernacular press that his song was in "Praise
of the Dispenser of human Destiny, who appears
in every age."
When Tagore was asked by
a friend, who was loyal to British, to write a song in praise of George
V, Tagore felt angered as he was opposed to the British rule. Instead
of one for George he wrote a song devoted to the dispenser of Human
destiny. When faced with/British media projection and RSS type criticism,
Tagore wrote "That great Charioteer of man's destiny in age after
age could not by any means be George V or George VI or any George. Even
my 'loyal' friend realized this; because, however powerful his loyalty
to the King, he was not wanting in intelligence." The
song gained wide popularity all over and its English translation, 'Morning
song of India' also picked in different parts. Netaji's Azad Hind Fauz
adopted it as national anthem and Gandhiji went on to say, "the
song has found a place in our national life." It is precisely for
this reason that RSS affiliates are uncomfortable with Jana Gana Mana
and want to assert Vande Matram in an aggressive way.