150 Years of Vande Mataram: Modi Leads Charged Lok Sabha Discussion on Song’s Legacy

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Monday kick-started a special discussion marking 150 years of the national song Vande Mataram — a historic moment tied as much to India’s freedom story as to its ongoing debates on identity, nationalism and cultural harmony.

Opening the debate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Vande Mataram was not merely a patriotic hymn but a “mantra that infused courage across the nation,” driving ordinary Indians to challenge the might of the British Raj. Calling the occasion a “privilege for Parliament and the people,” he said the 150-year milestone offers a chance to revive the “glory of a chapter that inspired India’s journey to 1947.”

The Prime Minister reminded the House that the song’s 100th anniversary in 1975 coincided with the Emergency, when democratic freedoms were curtailed. “At a time when the national song should have been celebrated, the Constitution was strangled and patriots were jailed,” he said.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha. https://t.co/qYnac5iCTB

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 8, 2025

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla added that Vande Mataram served as a beacon of hope during India’s struggle against colonial rule, uniting the masses with its powerful imagery of the motherland.

Why the Debate Matters — Even After 150 Years

Despite being penned by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1875, Vande Mataram continues to spark conversation because of its layered legacy and lingering disputes. The song’s early role in rallying anti-colonial sentiment is undisputed, but debates persist over:

• Its later verses, which include religious imagery some groups find exclusionary
• Its place alongside the national anthem
• Its relevance in a pluralistic, modern India
• Calls for reinstating removed stanzas
• Political disagreements on how and where it should be sung

The discussion, MPs say, is meant to clarify historical facts, address misconceptions, and reaffirm how the song should be viewed in today’s social and cultural fabric.

What the House Will Examine

• The historical journey of Vande Mataram from a novel extract to a national rallying cry
• Why the British banned it, fearing its power to mobilise Indians
• The reasoning behind adopting only the first two stanzas as the official national song in 1950
• Whether commemorations should include public events and educational initiatives
• The need to ensure the song is projected as a symbol of unity, not division

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A Symbol That Still Stirs India

A century and a half after it was first sung, Vande Mataram remains a phrase that can electrify political debate as much as it once electrified freedom fighters. Monday’s Lok Sabha discussion signals that the song is not just a relic of the past — it is a living, evolving emblem of India’s identity, still capable of inspiring passion, questions, and national reflection.