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Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday advocated for the collective singing of “Vande Mataram” in every classroom, calling it a powerful tradition that could evolve into a mass movement. Speaking at a programme at Delhi University’s Ramjas College to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the national song, he noted that this practice would guide the development of a prosperous India. “May our young companions sing the full version of Vande Mataram and become carriers of its spirit at the University of Delhi. The university will play a major role in transforming the timeless spirit of Vande Mataram into a people’s movement and connecting it with future generations,” Pradhan said. “Let the collective singing of Vande Mataram in every classroom of the university be established as a powerful tradition; only then will it evolve into a mass movement. Back then, we sang Vande Mataram for freedom; today, Vande Mataram will serve as our guiding light in building a developed and prosperous India,” he added. ALSO READ | GK: Which Stanzas Of Vande Mataram Were Omitted In 1937 And Why? The minister expressed his inspiration in singing the national song collectively with Ramjas College students, reported PTI. “After long struggles and sacrifices of countless nation-servers, we attained Independence in 1947; Vande Mataram was the proclamation of that national consciousness which wove the entire country into a single thread,” he said. Vande Mataram’ by Bankim Chandra Chatterji is believed to have been written on Akshaya Navami, November 7, 1875. It first appeared in the literary journal Bangadarshan as part of his novel Anandamath, serialized and later published as a standalone book in 1882. Controversy Surrounding Vande Mataram The controversy began after Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed last week that important stanzas of the song were dropped in 1937. PM Modi stated that “a part of its spirit and significance was separated,” suggesting that this division “sowed the seeds of India’s eventual partition.” On Friday, the Congress has demanded an apology from the prime minister for his remarks. Responding to his comments, the Congress on Sunday alleged that the prime minister had “insulted” the Congress Working Committee (CWC) of 1937, which had issued a statement on the national song. In October 1937, the Indian National Congress decided to adopt only the first two stanzas of the song. These verses were officially recognised as India’s national song in 1950.
