Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis paid homage to the 150th anniversary of “Vande Mataram,” describing it as a song that united India’s people across caste, religion and language during the freedom struggle. Speaking at the ‘Vande Mataram Sarshati’ event, Fadnavis recalled the song’s origin, impact, and enduring importance in shaping India’s national identity.
“Hindavi Swarajya’s founder Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the architect of our Constitution, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, are the guiding spirits of our nation,” Fadnavis said, opening his speech with tributes. He went on to recount how “Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, then a deputy magistrate under British rule, wrote ‘Vande Mataram’ out of anguish after witnessing the injustices of colonial power.”
Fadnavis narrated how the song became a rallying cry during the 1905 Bengal Partition movement. “When 30,000 people gathered at Kolkata’s Town Hall, someone shouted ‘Vande Mataram’, and within moments, thousands joined in chorus. That was the first time the song was sung collectively, and it became the anthem of resistance,” he said.
The Deputy CM reminded the audience that freedom fighters went to the gallows chanting “Vande Mataram” and that even Mahatma Gandhi ended his letters with the phrase. “The song was not about religion or caste; it was about Bharat Mata, our motherland. Even Maulana Abul Kalam Azad wrote that calling it a religious song would be a grave mistake,” he emphasised.
Calling “Vande Mataram” both a song of devotion and national pride, Fadnavis urged that its spirit must reach every student and citizen. “Today is a day of resolve to build a developed India that preserves both its progress and its heritage. That resolve is Vande Mataram,” he said, concluding with “Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra, Vande Mataram.”
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