The 150-Year Controversy: Understanding the Vande Mataram Debate Between BJP and Congress

Congress MP and LoP Rahul Gandhi (L) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) (File photos).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to participate in a Lok Sabha discussion commemorating the 150th anniversary of 'Vande Mataram', the iconic song penned by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in November 1875 that became a powerful symbol for freedom fighters during India's independence struggle.

The song has now emerged as a contentious issue between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress. The BJP accuses Congress of disrespecting the song by adopting only a partial version as the National Song during its 1937 session, allegedly to cater to a "communal agenda".

Congress has defended its decision, stating it was based on Rabindranath Tagore's advice and intended to be inclusive of all communities and religions in India. The party has countered by claiming that the BJP and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, consistently avoid singing the song. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge remarked on the irony that "those who today claim to be the guardians of nationalism have never sung 'Vande Mataram'..."

The controversy centers around six stanzas in which Chatterjee referenced Hindu goddesses Durga, Kamala (Lakshmi), and Saraswathi, portraying them as India's "perfect without peer" feminine guardians.

In 1937, under Jawaharlal Nehru's leadership, the Congress decided to use only the first two stanzas of the song at national gatherings. This decision was made because direct references to Hindu goddesses were perceived as exclusionary by some members of the Muslim community.

The resolution stated: "Taking all things into consideration, therefore, the Committee recommends that whenever 'Vande Mataram' is sung at national gatherings, only the first two stanzas should be sung". However, the Congress also acknowledged individuals' freedom to "sing any other song... in addition to, or in place of, the 'Vande Mataram' song".

The BJP now argues these exclusions demonstrate Congress' divisive intentions. Prime Minister Modi claimed that dropping these stanzas "sowed the seeds of the nation's division", referring to the Partition. "In 1937, a portion of 'Vande Mataram' was severed... it was torn apart. The division sowed the seeds of the nation's division. It is important for today's generation to understand why..." he stated last November.

BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan recently reignited the controversy by sharing on X platform letters Nehru had written to Netaji Subhas Bose in September and October 1937. Kesavan claimed, "Nehru spitefully writes that anybody considering the words in Vande Mataram as anything to do with a goddess was absurd," though the actual content suggests Nehru meant such an interpretation of the lyrics was absurd, not the person making it.

Referring to these excerpts, Kesavan further stated, "He (Jawaharlal Nehru) went on to say 'there does seem some substance in it', i.e., regarding outcry against 'Vande Mataram', and that 'people who are communistically inclined have been affected by it'."

In his correspondence, Nehru suggested the stanzas need not be interpreted as references to goddesses or divine figures, writing, "... that interpretation is absurd... I think the whole song and all the words in it are thoroughly harmless and nobody can take exception."

Nehru also noted that the lyrics were "out of keeping with modern notions of nationalism" and wrote, "... we cannot pander to communalists' feelings but to meet real grievances where they exist."