New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, December 8, opened the Lok Sabha debate, marking 150 years of Vande Mataram, describing the discussion as a historic moment for Parliament and the nation.
Speaking in the House during the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, PM Modi traced the journey of the national song through colonial rule, the freedom movement and the Emergency, underlining its enduring role in shaping India’s national consciousness. The Prime Minister also alleged that the national song had faced repeated opposition and neglect during critical moments in India’s past.
Here are the PM Modi's key remarks during the debate:
1. ‘Nehru said it might provoke and irritate Muslims’
“Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru wrote a letter to Subhash Chandra Bose after Jinnah’s opposition to Vande Mataram, stating that he had read the background of Vande Mataram and thought it might provoke and irritate Muslims. He added that they would examine the use of Vande Mataram, and that too in Bankim Chandra’s Bengal,” Modi said.
2. ‘Congress probed Vande Mataram’
“It is our duty to tell our next generations who did it. Muslim League led by Mohammed Ali Jinnah in 1937 carried out a drive against Vande Mataram. But the Congress, instead of opposing them, started probing Vande Mataram itself,” he said.
3. ‘Some forces betrayed the national song’
“As chants of ‘shame, shame’ echoed, Modi said, ‘some forces carried out vishwas ghaat of the national song in the last century’.”
4. ‘We are sitting here because lakhs chanted Vande Mataram’
“We are sitting here because lakhs chanted ‘Vande Mataram’ and fought for independence,” the Prime Minister told the House.
5. ‘A sacred war cry against colonialism’
“‘Vande Mataram’ is not just a mantra for political freedom; it was a sacred war cry to rid Bharatmata of vestiges of colonialism,” he said.
6. ‘The mantra powered the freedom struggle’
“The mantra of ‘Vande Mataram’ gave power and inspiration to the entire country during the freedom struggle,” Modi said.
7. ‘It showed courage and determination’
“The mantra energised and inspired India's freedom movement and showed the path of courage and determination,” he added.
8. ‘Emergency throttled the Constitution’
“When ‘Vande Mataram’ completed 100 years, the nation was chained by the Emergency. At that time, the Constitution was throttled, and those who lived and died for patriotism were pushed behind prison bars,” Modi said.
9. ‘A dark chapter in our history’
“The Emergency was a dark chapter in our history. Now we have the opportunity to restore the greatness of ‘Vande Mataram’. This opportunity should not be allowed to pass,” he said.
10. ‘150 years is a chance to restore pride’
“Now, at 150 years, it is a good opportunity to restore the glory of ‘Vande Mataram’ which won us freedom in 1947,” Modi said, calling it a moment of pride as Parliament marks the milestone.
Parliament has set aside ten hours across both Houses for a special discussion on the national song, with the Opposition expected to participate actively in the debate.
