The North News
New Delhi, November 7
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated a year-long commemoration of 150 years of India’s national song Vande Mataram in New Delhi, describing it as more than a phrase — “a mantra, an energy, a dream, and a solemn resolve.” Prime Minister said the song embodies devotion to Maa Bharati and links India’s history, present, and future with a spirit of unity and determination. “Vande Mataram connects us to our history, fills our present with confidence, and inspires our future with courage,” he said.
Calling the collective singing of Vande Mataram a “sublime experience,” the Prime Minister said it symbolised the unity and shared emotion of a nation. He declared November 7 a historic day, as India celebrates 150 years of the song that became a rallying cry for freedom. To mark the occasion, the government released a commemorative coin and postage stamp dedicated to Vande Mataram.
Modi paid tributes to India’s freedom fighters and visionaries, saying the event would “infuse new energy and inspiration” across the country. Reflecting on the song’s essence, Modi said, “The soul of Vande Mataram is Bharat itself — the eternal idea of India.” He described how the nation’s civilizational journey, rooted in moral strength and balance, forged its cultural identity. “India learned from history, endured its wounds, and emerged refined like pure gold,” he added.
The Prime Minister said that during colonial times, Vande Mataram became a call for liberation — a declaration that India would break its chains and shape its own destiny. He cited Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s view that Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Anandamath, which features the song, was “a dream of a free India.”
Prime Minister Modi noted that the song transcends its era of composition. Quoting its opening line — “Sujalam Sufalam Malayaja Sheetalam Sasyashyamalam Mataram” — he said it pays homage to India’s natural abundance and divine beauty.
He added that Vande Mataram also envisioned a prosperous India, even when the nation was under colonial rule and struggling with poverty. “Bankim Babu believed that no matter how grave the challenges, India could restore its golden age,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister remarked that Vande Mataram refuted colonial propaganda portraying India as backward. “It was not just a freedom song — it was a vision of what a free and flourishing India could be,” he said.
