NEW DELHI, DEC 09: Home Minister Amit Shah delivered a fiery speech in the Rajya Sabha today, asserting that the Congress-led division of the iconic national song Vande Mataram in 1937 marked the onset of appeasement politics, ultimately paving the way for India’s tragic Partition. Launching a debate to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s timeless poem, Shah portrayed the song as the enduring “mantra” of India’s cultural nationalism that ignited the freedom struggle and continues to inspire the nation’s journey toward Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Shah vehemently criticized the Opposition, particularly Congress, for dismissing the debate as politically motivated ahead of West Bengal elections. “Some MPs yesterday questioned the need for discussing Vande Mataram in the Lok Sabha, but its relevance spanned from its creation, through the independence movement, to today and into 2047 when we achieve a developed India,” he declared. He accused detractors of belittling the song by tying it to electoral politics, urging parliamentarians instead to propagate its patriotic spirit among the youth.
Recounting the song’s origins, Shah noted that Chattopadhyay penned Vande Mataram in Bengal amid British colonial oppression following the 1857 revolt and centuries of cultural erosion. “This poem rekindled the sacred vision of the nation as mother, spreading from Kashmir to Kanyakumari despite brutal British bans, beatings, and imprisonments,” he said. Quoting Maharshi Aurobindo, Shah described it as the clarion call of India’s awakening, emphasizing how India’s borders were forged not by treaties but by shared cultural heritage—a theme first powerfully articulated through this anthem.
Turning to history, Shah targeted Jawaharlal Nehru and the Congress for “fragmenting” the song on its 50th anniversary in 1937, restricting it to just two stanzas under pressure. “This was Congress’s way of honoring Vande Mataram,” he remarked sarcastically, amid Opposition protests. Shah framed this as the genesis of divisive appeasement, warning that such compromises on national symbols inexorably led to the subcontinent’s bifurcation. “Had they not split the song for political appeasement, India might not have faced Partition,” he asserted boldly.
Shah dismissed Congress claims of the debate being a “diversionary tactic,” reaffirming the government’s openness to all discussions without stalling Parliament. He highlighted the irony of the song’s 100th year coinciding with the 1975 Emergency, when democratic values were suppressed—yet Vande Mataram endured as a beacon of resilience. Calling for unity, Shah envisioned the song fueling modern India’s self-reliance and progress, transcending past controversies to unite generations in national pride.
