The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday passed a 10-point resolution defending the complete version of Vande Mataram and strongly opposing the Congress Working Committee’s decision to restrict the National Song to its first two stanzas at party programmes.
The resolution accused the Congress of reducing Vande Mataram for political and communal considerations and said the National Song should not be subjected to “vote-bank” politics or political appeasement.
The BJP also highlighted Mahatma Gandhi’s views on Vande Mataram. According to the resolution, Gandhi had described the song as an “anti-imperialist cry” and associated it with the “purest national spirit”. The party said these remarks reflected the broader national significance of the song beyond the religious or literary interpretation of individual stanzas.
The BJP resolution condemned the Congress Working Committee’s August 19 decision to reaffirm its 1937 position of limiting the song to its first two stanzas during Congress programmes. It said the complete Vande Mataram represents India’s national consciousness and its struggle for freedom.
The party also referred to the constitutional and legal position of the National Song. It argued that the decisions of political parties cannot override constitutional institutions or laws enacted by Parliament.
Another key point in the resolution was the BJP’s reference to the historical circumstances surrounding the restriction of Vande Mataram. The party said the objections raised by the Muslim League and subsequent communal and separatist politics played a role in the song’s truncation.
The BJP announced plans for a nationwide campaign to spread awareness about the history, meaning and significance of Vande Mataram. Party workers will be asked to take the message to people across the country.
The resolution particularly focuses on the younger generation. The BJP said people should be educated about the complete six-stanza National Song and the sacrifices and patriotic movement associated with it.
The party concluded that no compromise should be made with the honour and legacy of Vande Mataram for political convenience or appeasement.
The resolution comes amid a fresh political debate between the BJP and Congress over the historical treatment and public singing of Vande Mataram, with both parties presenting different views on how the National Song should be observed at political programmes.
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