Vande Mataram 150: Parliament Set for Intense Debate on History, Identity, and Stanza Omission

Indias Parliament is set to host a significant debate marking 150 years of the national song, Vande Mataram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will open the Lok Sabha session, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh concluding, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah will initiate proceedings in the Rajya Sabha.

The nearly ten-hour discussion is expected to be a politically charged affair, featuring key opposition voices like Gaurav Gogoi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The core of the debate revolves around the 1937 omission of certain stanzas from the song. PM Modi has accused the Congress Party of weakening Vande Matarams spirit by this act, linking it to his Viksit Bharat vision.

Conversely, the Congress defends the 1937 decision as a carefully considered compromise by leaders including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Rabindranath Tagore, citing religious imagery in the omitted verses. Opposition parties also accuse the government of weaponising history to deflect from contemporary issues such as unemployment and inequality.