Vande Mataram - II

I had ended the last post by concluding that the National Anthem and the National Song were supposed to treated with equal respect. In fact to most people at the time of independence, Vande Mataram was a greater tribute to the nation. Then why the controversy around it?

For that let’s trace the song’s history –
The song is written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in what has been described as a highly Sanskritized form of the Bengali language. The song first appeared in his book Anandamatha, published in 1882; it was actually written six years earlier in 1876.
The song has five stanzas.

Vande maataram
sujalaam suphalaam malayaja shiitalaam
Sasyashyaamalaam maataram ||

Shubhrajyotsnaa pulakitayaaminiim
pullakusumita drumadala shobhiniim
suhaasiniim sumadhura bhaashhiniim
sukhadaam varadaam maataram ||

Koti koti kantha kalakalaninaada karaale
koti koti bhujai.rdhR^itakharakaravaale
abalaa keno maa eto bale
bahubaladhaariniim namaami taariniim
ripudalavaariniim maataram ||

Tumi vidyaa tumi dharma
tumi hR^idi tumi marma
tvam hi praanaaH shariire

Baahute tumi maa shakti
hR^idaye tumi maa bhakti
tomaara i pratimaa gaDi
mandire mandire ||

Tvam hi durgaa dashapraharanadhaarinii
kamalaa kamaladala vihaarinii
vaanii vidyaadaayinii namaami tvaam

namaami kamalaam amalaam atulaam
Sujalaam suphalaam maataram ||

Shyaamalaam saralaam susmitaam bhuushhitaam
Dharaniim bharaniim maataram |

.....and the translation by Shree Aurobindo -

Mother, I bow to thee!
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
bright with orchard gleams,
Cool with thy winds of delight,
Dark fields waving Mother of might,
Mother free.

Glory of moonlight dreams,
Over thy branches and lordly streams,
Clad in thy blossoming trees,
Mother, giver of ease
Laughing low and sweet!
Mother I kiss thy feet,
Speaker sweet and low!
Mother, to thee I bow.

Who hath said thou art weak in thy lands
When the sword flesh out in the seventy million hands
And seventy million voices roar
Thy dreadful name from shore to shore?
With many strengths who art mighty and stored,
To thee I call Mother and Lord!
Though who savest, arise and save!
To her I cry who ever her foeman drove
Back from plain and Sea And shook herself free.

Thou art wisdom, thou art law,
Thou art heart, our soul, our breath
Though art love divine, the awe
In our hearts that conquers death.
Thine the strength that nervs the arm,
Thine the beauty, thine the charm.
Every image made divine In our temples is but thine

Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen,
With her hands that strike and her
swords of sheen,
Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned,
And the Muse a hundred-toned,
Pure and perfect without peer,
Mother lend thine ear,
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
Bright with thy orchard gleems,
Dark of hue O candid-fair

In thy soul, with jewelled hair
And thy glorious smile divine,
Lovilest of all earthly lands,
Showering wealth from well-stored hands!
Mother, mother mine!
Mother sweet, I bow to thee,
Mother great and free!

It is obvious from the translation that the later stanzas of the song depicts the motherland as a goddess...a notion that the followers of a number of religions are uncomfortable with. Also a cause of concern was the novel itself...Anandmath - in which the chief protaganist, Bhavananda, plans an armed rising against the Muslims of Bengal.

These are the reasons often cited as to why concerns were raised by the Muslim community even before independence against Vande Mataram.

In 1937 the Congress under the presidentship of Nehru, took cognizance of the concerns raise and made a statement seeking separation of the song from the novel. Noting its usage over the years the statement said -

"Thethe use of the first two stanzas of the song spread to other provinces and a certain national significance began to attach to them. The rest of the song was very seldom used, and is even now known by few persons. These two stanzas described in tender language the beauty of (the) motherland and the abundance of her gifts. There was absolutely nothing in them to which objection could be from the religious or any other point of view..."

"...The Committee recognizes the validity of the objection raised by Muslim friends to certain parts of the song. While the Committee have taken note of such objection insofar as it has intrinsic value, the Committee wish to point out that the modern evolution of the use of the song as part of National life is of infinitely greater importance than its setting in a historical novel before the national movement had taken shape."

Of course a statement like this makes no difference in India. Most people in the past and even now continue to get swayed by the religious authorities. But the point is that even then it was recognized that the first two stanzas do not carry any religious connotations and are actually a beautiful depiction of the nation.

The Supreme Court has ruled that singing of the national anthem is not necessary as long as no disrespect is shown towards it. What is valid for the national anthem is obviously valid for the national song, so clearly no one can force anyone to sing it but Vande Mataram has been proclaimed as our national song and therefore no community can disown it. There in lies the current problem. Ignorance has fostered fear among the Muslim community that they are being forced to sing it because the song is Hindu in nature. Fatwas have been repeatedly issued asking muslim parents not to allow their children to sing the song, democracy has been cited to state that the individual has the right to choose whether to sing the song or not...(in that case maybe we should have the right to follow/not follow any law in this country...this we do anyways :)) parties like BJP have repeatedly tried to get mileage out of the issue and have projected the choice of not singing as anti national.

Obviously both attitudes are wrong...what is required is for each and everyone to understand the meaning of the song and I doubt if there will be any confusion after that. So lets go and get to know our national song better!!