Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a year-long commemoration of Vande Mataram to mark 150 years of the national song.
At an event held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, he also released a commemorative stamp and coin to mark the occasion.
The programme marks the formal beginning of the nationwide celebration, from November 7, 2025, to November 7, 2026, honouring 150 years of the iconic composition that inspired India’s freedom struggle and continues to embody national pride and unity.
Vande Mataram was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterji on Akshaya Navami, which fell on November 7, 1875. The song first appeared in the literary journal Bangadarshan as part of Chatterji’s novel Anandamath.
PM Modi also said that 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.
"Vande Mataram became voice of India's freedom struggle, it expressed feelings of every Indian. Unfortunately, in 1937, important stanzas of Vande Mataram..its soul was removed. The division of Vande Mataram also sowed the seeds of partition. Today's generation needs to know that why was this injustice done with this 'maha mantra' of nation building..this divisive mindset is still a challenge for the country," he said.
With inputs from PTI
At an event held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, he also released a commemorative stamp and coin to mark the occasion.
The programme marks the formal beginning of the nationwide celebration, from November 7, 2025, to November 7, 2026, honouring 150 years of the iconic composition that inspired India’s freedom struggle and continues to embody national pride and unity.
Vande Mataram was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterji on Akshaya Navami, which fell on November 7, 1875. The song first appeared in the literary journal Bangadarshan as part of Chatterji’s novel Anandamath.
PM Modi also said that 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.
"Vande Mataram became voice of India's freedom struggle, it expressed feelings of every Indian. Unfortunately, in 1937, important stanzas of Vande Mataram..its soul was removed. The division of Vande Mataram also sowed the seeds of partition. Today's generation needs to know that why was this injustice done with this 'maha mantra' of nation building..this divisive mindset is still a challenge for the country," he said.
With inputs from PTI
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