Vande Mataram...Why the Hype?

Yet again a trivial issue is hogging the limelight and the political denominations are exploiting the max. Vande Mataram has created a controversial hullabaloo across the country with every form of media exaggerating the debate, whether it should be made compulsory in schools or not. India being a secular country, I believe we should not force people to sing this song if it upsets their sentiments. Moreover force is an objectionable element…Isn’t it? How can the largest democracy of the world support this funda? What do the political parties want to prove by enforcing the so called Hinduism?

I do agree that the song instigates a strange kind of jingoistic patriotic wave…the lyrics are exceptionally beautiful as it describes the pristine beauty of our motherland, but why malign the beauty by creating a controversy? Furthermore why are the political parties so concerned? How many of them can sing Vande Mataram properly? Forget about national song…Can they sing our national anthem correctly? A developing country like ours needs to focus on graver issues like poverty, unemployment, corruption etc. Why create communal dissonance over a petty issue?

Having said that, I don’t endorse the views of Muslim community that Vande Mataram is anti-Muslim. The two stanzas that were approved simply praise the motherland. Don’t you think we do owe our motherland and there’s nothing objectionable in glorifying our land?

Vande maataraM

sujalaaM suphalaaM

malayaja shiitalaaM

sasyashyaamalaaM maataraM

shubhrajyotsnaa pulakitayaaminiiM

pullakusumita drumadala shobhiniiM

suhaasiniiM sumadhura bhaashhiNiiM

sukhadaaM varadaaM maataraM

English Translation

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.

What is obnoxious about the lyrics? Eminent patriots like Asfqullah, Maulana Abul Kalam, Abdul Hamid laid down their lives singing vande mataram…A.R.Rahman popularized this beautiful version…Are they not bonafide Muslims? When Hindus open heartedly accepted and epitomized Taj mahal, built by a Muslim, as a national heritage, why can’t they sing Vande Mataram?

The larger issue is why are we blowing this issue out of proportion? Many would start questioning the validity of our national anthem...It’s better to avoid these clashes and focus on solving the real problems. Let’s not succumb under the malicious ‘divide and rule’ policy…What say?