Politics
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Rajnath Singh criticizes Congress over Vande Mataram stance
The Hindu··22 Aug
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh criticized the Congress party's decision to sing only two of the National Song's six stanzas at party events, citing the Congress Working Committee's 1937 resolution. Singh said any law passed by Parliament is binding on citizens and linked the original 1937 decision to the country's subsequent partition, and called the party's stance unconstitutional and politically concerning.
Prism
What It Means For You
- The debate touches on how national symbols are treated at official and political events, something citizens encounter at schools, government functions and public ceremonies.
- Political disputes over historical resolutions like this one often resurface around elections, so voters can expect similar symbolic debates ahead of upcoming polls.
- Understanding the 1937 origin of the two-stanza practice helps citizens evaluate competing claims made by different parties on this issue.
What's Happening
- The Congress Working Committee decided to sing only two of Vande Mataram's six stanzas at its events, citing its own 1937 resolution.
- Rajnath Singh argued that opposing a Parliament-passed law casts doubt on constitutional allegiance and views on national symbols.
- The Bharatiya Janata Party has repeatedly raised this issue in recent statements, including from senior leader Amit Shah, linking it to historical Partition debates.
The 1937 Resolution Behind Today's Dispute
- The original 1937 Congress Working Committee resolution limited public singing to two stanzas partly to address objections raised by some Muslim League leaders over later verses.
- Vande Mataram was written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1876 and was adopted as the National Song, distinct from the National Anthem, by the Constituent Assembly in 1950.
- Disputes over the song's full text versus its shortened version have recurred periodically in Indian politics for decades, often resurfacing around anniversaries or elections.
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