Congress sticks to 1937 Vande Mataram stand amid BJP attack
Pioneer News Service
n New Delhi
In a move that is likely to create a fresh political storm, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Wednesday reaffirmed the party’s 1937 stand on national song, Vande Mataram, deciding that only the first two stanzas will be sung at party programmes.
Sources said the issue was discussed at the CWC meeting on Wednesday, with several leaders reiterating the party’s stand adopted in 1937. The grand old party maintained that its decision is rooted in the resolution adopted by the CWC in October 1937, when the party decided that only the first two stanzas should be sung at national gatherings.
Congress leaders met to discuss the political situation in the country, including the roadmap to step up pressure on the Government on issues of students and the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple.
The meeting was chaired by party president Mallikarjun Kharge in the presence of CWC members former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh and KC Venugopal, senior leaders Ambika Sonia, Mukul Wasnik, P Chidambaram, among others in attendance.
The 1937 decision came after a debate over the complete version of Vande Mataram and its suitability for national gatherings involving people from different religious and cultural backgrounds. The song, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1875 and later published in Anandamath, contains several stanzas beyond the opening two. While the first two stanzas praise the motherland, the later portions contain religious and mythological imagery connected to Hindu goddess Durga.
Congress decision comes after the BJP criticised Congress president Kharge for singing what it called an incomplete version of Vande Mataram during his public meeting in South Goa on Monday. “I sang the Vande Mataram which Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru sang... the same song which Vallabhbhai Patel and Atal Bihari Vajpayee sang. If that is the crime, then file a case against Gandhiji, Nehru and Vallabhbhai Patel,” Kharge said. He also accused the BJP of being unaware of the historical decisions taken by the Congress on the national song and the national anthem.
Kharge further asked chief ministers from the party to work with education experts to come up with a roadmap to overhaul the education and examination system and submit a report to him.
The CWC also resolved to corner the Government on the issues of paper leaks, the overall education system, as well as chanda chori at the Ram temple at the grassroots level. The Opposition party also alleged that the Government was following a policy of surrendering in the face of Chinese incursions taking place in Arunachal Pradesh.
Addressing a press conference, Venugopal said a detailed discussion was held at the CWC meeting with 88 leaders attending and 33 speaking on the occasion. “We are focused on three-four issues. Number one is paper leaks. The agitation done by the people of the country and the way the Government dealt with that agitation was discussed. The CWC noted that the Monsoon Session of Parliament was successful for the Opposition and the Government was on the back foot,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi’s Chhatron ki Goonj will continue with more such gatherings in 800 cities, some of which will be headed by the former Congress president.
