Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah initiated a special discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the 150th anniversary of the national song 'Vande Mataram'.

Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that the need to discuss Vande Mataram and to remain devoted to it was present when it was first composed, remained throughout the freedom struggle, continues today, and will still be there in 2047 when India emerges as a truly Great Nation. Vande Mataram is an immortal creation that awakens the feelings of dedication, devotion and duty towards Mother India. He said that some people are trying to belittle the glorification of Vande Mataram by linking it to the upcoming elections in West Bengal. Shri Shah said that Vande Mataram was never limited only to West Bengal or India; wherever in the world there were lovers of freedom, they used to sing Vande Mataram even in their secret meetings. The Home Minister said that even today, when a soldier on the border or a police jawan for internal security makes the supreme sacrifice, the mantra on his lips is Vande Mataram.

Shri Amit Shah said that the song Vande Mataram became the proclamation of freedom, the inspiration for the freedom struggle, and the force that liberated Mother India from the chains of slavery. It is Vande Mataram that inspires India’s martyrs, even as they make the ultimate sacrifice, to be reborn and offer their lives again for Mother India in the next birth. He said that many great thinkers and sages drew inspiration from Vande Mataram to keep our ancient nation progressing on the path of its eternal culture for centuries. Shri Shah further said that the discussion, glorification, and celebration of Vande Mataram taking place in both Houses of Parliament will help our children, adolescents, youth, and many generations to come understand its profound significance and lay the foundation for the rebirth and reconstruction of the nation.

Union Home Minister said that composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Vande Mataram song was first made public on 7 November 1875. He said that soon after its creation, Vande Mataram swiftly became the symbol of patriotism, sacrifice, and national consciousness, and it paved the way for our freedom movement. We must all remember the background in which Vande Mataram was composed. He explained that the context of its creation was centuries of Islamic invasions that had ravaged the country’s culture and history, followed by the British attempt during their rule to impose a new civilization and culture upon us. It was at such a time that Bankim Babu wrote Vande Mataram. Shri Shah said that with great subtlety, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay restored and reaffirmed our ancient civilization, the idea of cultural nationalism, and our eternal tradition of worshipping the motherland as the Divine Mother. The then-government tried to suppress it, imposed bans on singing it, and those who uttered Vande Mataram were flogged and thrown into jail. Yet, overcoming all these prohibitions and without any organized publicity, the song touched every heart and spread from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. He added that Vande Mataram has in effect become the mantra of renaissance for all those who hold reverence for India’s culture.

Shri Amit Shah said that during the period of slavery, many of our temples, universities, centres of art, agriculture and education systems were destroyed, yet no one could erase the essence of our culture from the soul of the people. At that very moment, there was a need to awaken and reorganise that very spirit, and it was precisely then that Bankim Babu composed Vande Mataram. Neither the British nor those who had accepted their civilisation could stop it. He said that Vande Mataram awakened a nation that had forgotten its own divine power. Vande Mataram performed the task of reviving the soul of the nation. Maharshi Aurobindo had said that Vande Mataram is the mantra of India’s rebirth, and this statement truly reflects the greatness of Vande Mataram. Shri Shah added that Sri Aurobindo’s deep sentiment towards Vande Mataram became a source of inspiration for every child of this country and turned into the mantra of our freedom.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that our country is unique in the entire world; India is the only nation whose borders have been defined by its culture, and it is this very culture that has held India together. It was Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay who awakened the idea of cultural nationalism during the era of colonial subjugation. He said that the mantra that binds our country is our culture, and it was the clarion call of Vande Mataram that, for the first time, firmly established the principle of cultural nationalism. Shri Shah said that today the entire country is embracing and marching forward with the vision of cultural nationalism. The Home Minister said that India is not merely a piece of land; it is the embodiment of our Mother, and we sing devotional hymns to Her. Vande Mataram is precisely that expression of devotion. In the composition of Vande Mataram, the concept of Bharat Mata has been described with profound emotion: She is portrayed as the bestower of water, fruits, and prosperity; adorned with flowers, delighting the heart and mind; and as the very form of Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Durga. He said that, in essence, our prosperity, security, knowledge, and progress can only be attained through the grace and worship of Mother India. The valour of Durga, the abundance of Lakshmi, and the intellect of Saraswati can only be granted to us by the grace of Mother India and the sacred soil of this land. That is why we must repeatedly bow in reverence to Her.

Shri Amit Shah said that the motherland gives us our identity and language, forms the basis of a civilized way of life, and provides the opportunity to elevate our lives. He said that nothing can be greater than the motherland, and this eternal sentiment was revived by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. In the dark era of slavery, Vande Mataram worked like a flash of lightning, awakening the spirit of attaining Swaraj in the hearts of people by helping them shed the mentality of servitude. Shri Shah said that during the freedom movement, the last words spoken by all our freedom fighters as they embraced martyrdom were ‘Vande Mataram’. He said that in 1907, an English newspaper named Vande Mataram was started in Calcutta, whose editor was Maharshi Aurobindo. The British government considered it the most dangerous nationalist paper and charged Shri Aurobindo with sedition, sentencing him.

Union Home Minister said that in 1896, Gurudev Tagore publicly sang Vande Mataram for the first time at a session of the Congress. In 1905, at the Varanasi session, the great poetess Sarala Devi Chaudhurani sang the complete Vande Mataram and on 15 August 1947, when the country became independent, at 6:30 in the morning, at the request of Sardar Patel, Pandit Omkarnath Thakur sang Vande Mataram on All India Radio in his melodious voice, moving the entire nation. He said that on 24 January 1950, in the final meeting of the Constituent Assembly, Vande Mataram was declared the National Song, giving it equal honor to the National Anthem.

Shri Amit Shah said that the tendency to avoid discussing Vande Mataram is not new. In 1925, on the golden jubilee of Vande Mataram, if the leader of the then main political party had not split ‘Vande Mataram’ and started appeasement, the partition of the country would not have occurred. He said that at its 50th milestone, Vande Mataram was limited, and from there the politics of appeasement began, which later resulted in the partition of the country. Shri Shah said that if Vande Mataram had not been divided into two parts under the policy of appeasement, the country would not have been partitioned. He said that during the 100th year of Vande Mataram, all those who spoke Vande Mataram were imprisoned by the then Prime Minister. He said that during that period, the Emergency was imposed in the country, and lakhs of opposition members, social workers, and members of voluntary organizations were jailed. Union Home Minister said that during the Emergency, newspaper offices were locked without any reason. Even Kishore Kumar’s voice was not allowed to be broadcast on All India Radio, and duet songs were played only in Lata Ji’s voice. When Vande Mataram completed 100 years, the entire country was practically held captive. Shri Shah said that the opposition party, whose sessions used to begin with Gurudev Tagore singing Vande Mataram, when the same Vande Mataram was discussed in Lok Sabha, the members of the prominent family associated with that party were absent. He added that the disrespect and insult toward Vande Mataram have run in the veins of the leadership of the principal opposition party ever since the freedom struggle and continues even today.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that a leader of the main opposition party stated in the Lok Sabha that there is no need to discuss Vande Mataram today. The song that Mahatma Gandhi described as being connected to the purest soul of the nation, and that Bipin Chandra Pal called the integrated expression of national devotion and duty in Rashtradharma, was also divided by the opposition party itself. He said that Vande Mataram also played a role at the international level in energizing our freedom movement. Shri Shah said that during the period of colonial rule, even at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, our hockey team sang Vande Mataram with deep emotion, and we won the gold medal.

Union Home Minister said that the very foundation of their party was laid on the principle of cultural nationalism. He said that their party was formed so that the country would not run on the basis of Western culture, but instead on its own original culture and core ideas.

Shri Amit Shah said that it is in the records that the singing of Vande Mataram was stopped in this Parliament. He said that in 1992, MP Shri Ram Naik raised the issue through a short-duration discussion, demanding that Vande Mataram be sung again in Parliament. At that time, Shri Lal Krishna Advani, who was the Leader of the Opposition, strongly told the Speaker of the Lok Sabha that Vande Mataram should be sung in this great House, because it had been accepted by the Constituent Assembly. It was only then that, with unanimous agreement, the Lok Sabha resumed the singing of Vande Mataram in 1992.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that when they initiated the singing of Vande Mataram, many members of the opposition alliance had said at that time as well that they would not sing Vande Mataram. Union Home Minister said he has observed that, before the singing of Vande Mataram begins, some members seated in the House stand up and walk out as soon as the song starts. Shri Shah added that there is not a single member of their party who does not stand during the singing of Vande Mataram.  

Shri Amit Shah said that on the 130th death anniversary of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, the government issued a postal stamp through the Department of Posts, and on the 75th anniversary of Independence, it launched the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign. At that time, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had urged the public not to forget to say Vande Mataram while hoisting the national flag.

Union Home Minister said that the Government of India has also decided to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram in a grand manner. He said that on 1st October 2025, the Cabinet passed a resolution deciding that the entire upcoming year would be celebrated as a tribute to Vande Mataram. On 24 October 2025, the framework for coordination programs at the national and international levels was finalized. Shri Shah said that on 7 November 2025, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated this campaign in New Delhi by offering floral tributes to Bharat Mata. Its first phase was completed in November; the second phase will be in January 2026, the third phase in August 2026, and the fourth phase in November 2026. He added that a commemorative postage stamp and coin have also been issued.

Shri Amit Shah said that a special cultural presentation titled “Vande Mataram – Naad Ekam Roop Anekam” has been composed by 75 musicians, and in response to the Government of India’s call, people across the country sang Vande Mataram collectively on 7 November. He said that a documentary has been made to mark 150 years of Vande Mataram. Exhibitions on Vande Mataram will also be shown to the public in every district and tehsil. Further, this exhibition will be sent digitally to crores of people.

Union Home Minister said that the government has decided to organize special programs on All India Radio, Doordarshan, and FM radio channels. He said that the Press Information Bureau (PIB) will hold discussions and gatherings in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Cultural events based on Vande Mataram will be organized in all Indian embassies. Tree plantation drives are underway under Vande Mataram: Salute to Mother Earth. Patriotic murals and depictions of the history of Vande Mataram will also be displayed along highways. Public announcements will be made through LED displays at railway stations and airports. Additionally, work has begun on producing 25 short films based on Vande Mataram and the life of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

Shri Amit Shah said that when the country completed 75 years of independence, despite the COVID period, the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ was celebrated for two full years in every village across the nation. Through the Amrit Mahotsav, we acquainted the young generation of this country with the entire saga of the freedom struggle from 1857 to 1947. He said that numerous unsung heroes of the freedom movement—whose names were never even recorded in history—were identified, their details traced, memorials were built in their honour, countless programmes were organised across the country, and a concerted effort was made to generate a fresh surge of patriotism. He added that for the first time after independence, such extensive programmes were conducted.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that in the 75 years since independence, every government that has come to power has taken the country far ahead. He said that we have greatly strengthened our democracy, and today the roots of our democracy have become extremely strong. Shri Shah said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has named the period from the 75th to the 100th year of independence as the ‘Amrit Kaal’. The Prime Minister has placed a resolve before the youth of the country: that we will treat this period from the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' to the centenary of independence as a phase of challenges. When the centenary of independence is celebrated, our country will stand first in the world in every field. He emphasised that this is not merely the resolve of PM Modi or any particular political party. Some people may dismiss it as just a political slogan, but it is in fact the collective resolve of 140 crore Indians, and it will certainly be fulfilled. Home Minister further said that it is nothing short of divine coincidence that the 150th year of Vande Mataram has arrived precisely when we are observing the Amrit Kaal. Through this milestone, we will once again kindle the flame of patriotism across the nation.

Shri Amit Shah said that Vande Mataram will never become irrelevant. The need that existed for it when it was composed is just as great today. He said that at that time, Vande Mataram became the driving force to liberate the country, whereas in this Amrit Kaal, Vande Mataram will become the rallying cry to make India developed and great.

Union Home Minister said that it is the shared responsibility of every member of this House to once again awaken the spirit of Vande Mataram in the heart of every child, to firmly instill the chant of Vande Mataram in the mind of every adolescent, and to inspire every youth to dedicate their life to the path illuminated by the true meaning of Vande Mataram. He said that the clarion call of Vande Mataram should become the driving force behind the creation of the India that our freedom fighters had dreamed of.

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