Vande Matharam

My dear Brothers and sisters

I quote Sir Walter Scott below

Breathes there the man with soul so dead

Who never to himself hath said, 

This is my own, my native land!

Whose heart hath ne’er within him burned, 

As home his footsteps he hath turned

From wandering on a foreign strand! 

If such there breathe, go, mark him well; 

For him no minstrel raptures swell; 

High though his titles, proud his name, 

Boundless his wealth as wish can claim

Despite those titles, power, and pelf, 

The wretch, concentred all in self,

Living, shall forfeit fair renown, 

And, doubly dying, shall go down

To the vile dust from whence he sprung, 

Unwept, unhonored , and unsung.

Sir Walter Scott

Watching the controversy over singing of Vandhe Matharam, I am reminded of the above immortal words of Sir Walter Scott.

 I fail to understand how singing of the song in praise of our Mother, Mother India can hurt any sentiment of any of our brothers? 

With the limited knowledge of Islam I cannot believe that the believers of Allah (may His Exalted name always be praised) could find any inconsistency in this issue.

 They are our own brothers being nurtured by the same Sindhu, Ganga and Kaveri, sharing the same heaven-like landscape and the mother is never partial in showering her immeasurable bounties to any of her children, let them profess a multitude of philosophies and follow different lifestyles. 

A landmark in the history of the great song in praise of our Mother India

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. 

The glory of Vandhe Matharam By Bankim Chandra Chatterjea

Is being celebrated and there is a call that this song should be sung by one and all on 7th September.

In this context, my brothers and sisters, if a situation arises in our great country that the fiats of the Government should govern the chanting of this glorious song, it is only the sign of the degradation of our own belief in the brotherhood amongst us, the Indians. So there should not be any compulsion. Let the response be voluntary, spontaneous.

Nobody need tell his brother to sing in praise of the mother. Let enlightenment and brotherhood prevail. Let us not vilify anyone on this issue. If we do this, we will be belittling the glory of our Mother. 

Let us remember 

Bharathi, who said “Vadhe Matharam enpom --- and continued to say “Onru pattal undu vaazhvu… 

and Vallathol “Bharathamennathu kettalabhimaan poorithamaakenamantharangam…’’ 

and Iqbal “Saare Jahan Se Achaa Hindustan Hamaaraa….”