New Delhi, 7 Nov

In an apparent attack at the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said important stanzas of the national song "Vande Mataram" were dropped in 1937 which sowed the seeds of partition and asserted that such a "divisive mindset" is still a challenge for the country.

Modi made the comments while inaugurating the year-long commemoration of "Vande Mataram" to mark 150 years of the nationalsong. He also released a commemorative stamp and coin on the occasion at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here.

"Vande Mataram became the voice of India's freedom struggle, it expressed the feelings of every Indian. Unfortunately, in 1937, important stanzas of Vande Mataram..a part of its soul, were separated. The division of Vande Mataram also sowed the seeds of partition. Today's generation needs to know why this injustice was done with this 'maha mantra' of nation building..this divisive mindset is still a challenge for the country," he said.

Noting that "Vande Mataram" is relevant in every era, the PM, in an apparent reference to Operation Sindoor, said, "When the enemy dared to attack our security and honour using terrorism, the world saw that India knows how to take the form of Durga".

Earlier in the day, the BJP alleged that the Congress party "brazenly pandering to its communal agenda under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, adopted only a truncated "Vande Mataram" as the party's national song in 1937.

"The Congress committed the historic sin and blunder of linking the song with religion. Congress under Nehru citing religious grounds deliberately removed stanzas of Vande Mataram which hailed Goddess Ma Durga," BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan charged in a post on X.

In his remarks at the event, the prime minister said as the country marks 150 years of "Vande Mataram", it gives us new inspiration and fills people of the country with new energy.

"Vande Mataram is a word, a mantra, an energy, a dream, a resolve. It is the devotion to Mother India, the worship of Mother India. It connects us to our history and gives our future new courage. There is no resolve that cannot be achieved, no goal that we Indians cannot accomplish. We have to build a nation which is at the top on the basis of knowledge, science and technology," Modi said.

He said for centuries, the world listened to stories of India's prosperity.

"Just a few centuries ago, India accounted for nearly one-fourth of the global GDP. However, he noted that when Bankim Babu composed Vande Mataram, India had drifted far from that golden era. Foreign invasions, plunder, and exploitative colonial policies had left the country suffering with poverty and hunger," he said.

"Yet, Bankim Babu invoked the vision of a prosperous India, driven by his belief that no matter how great the challenges, India could revive its golden age. And thus, he gave the clarion call - Vande Mataram," Modi said.

Modi stated that during the colonial era, the British sought to justify their rule by portraying India as inferior and backward.

He emphasised that the very first line of "VandeMataram" powerfully dismantled this false propaganda.

Therefore, "Vande Mataram" was not merely a song of freedom - it also presented to millions of Indians a vision of what a free India could be: the dream of a 'Sujalam Sufalam Bharat', he said.

He also said that for those who view the nation merely as a geopolitical entity, the idea of considering the nation as a mother may seem surprising.

"But India is different. In India, the mother is the giver of birth, the nurturer, and when her children are in danger, she is also the destroyer of evil," Modi said.

He cited the lines from "Vande Mataram", highlighting that Maa Bharati possesses immense power, guides us through adversity, and vanquishes enemies.

The PM stated that the idea of the nation as mother, and the mother as a divine embodiment of strength, led to a freedom movement that resolved to include both men and women equally.

He added that this vision enabled India to once again dream of a nation where women power stands at the forefront of nation-building.

The programme marks the formal launch of the year-long nationwide commemoration - from 7 November, 2025 to 7 November, 2026 - celebrating 150 years of the timeless composition that inspired India's freedom movement and continues to evoke national pride and unity.

The song was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterji on the occasion of Akshaya Navami, which fell on 7 November in 1875.

The song first appeared in the literary journal, "Bangadarshan", as part of Chatterji's novel, "Anandamath".