Delhi, Dec 9:Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah initiated a special discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the 150th anniversary of the national song 'Vande Mataram'.

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. 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.

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.

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.  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.