PM Modi to initiate Vande Mataram debate in Lok Sabha: What is it all about

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will initiate the debate on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram in Lok Sabha today. Lok Sabha has scheduled the 'Discussion on the 150th anniversary of national song Vande Mataram' for Monday and allocated 10 hours for the debate. 

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to be the second speaker. Congress deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will also participate, along with other members.

The debate is part of year-long celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. On November 7, Prime Minister Modi launched the celebrations aimed especially at youth and students to deepen awareness of the song's significance.

Officials said many important and unknown facets related to Vande Mataram will come to light during the debate. Home Minister Amit Shah will initiate the discussion in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, followed by Health Minister and Leader of the Rajya Sabha J P Nadda as the second speaker.

Congress deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will participate in the debate on Monday, while Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi will speak on electoral reforms the next day. Sources said Congress has finalised its list of speakers for both debates, which will be held in Lok Sabha on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

WHAT IS THE VANDE MATARAM DEBATE ALL ABOUT?

The Vande Mataram debate focuses on the legacy of the national song written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and set to tune by Jadunath Bhattacharya. Political temperature spiked last month during the commemoration event of 150 years of Vande Mataram, when PM Modi accused the Congress of removing “important stanzas” from the original song during its 1937 Faizabad session. 

PM Modi claimed that this “sowed the seeds of partition”, with the Congress’ move amounting to breaking the national song into pieces. He said this act abandoned the original spirit and undermined unity.

The Congress, citing ‘The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi (Vol66, p46)’ argued that the 1937 decision was in fact a sensitive accommodation recommended by a Working Committee. The said committee included individuals like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Subhas Chandra Bose, Rajendra Prasad, Abul Kalam Azad, and Sarojini Naidu.

The committee decided that the first two stanzas were already widely used while the remaining contained religious imagery that some citizens objected to. The decision was also based on the advice of Rabindranath Tagore.