New Delhi, Dec 8 (UNI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday emphasized the need to restore ‘Vande Mataram’ to its rightful place in India’s national consciousness, strongly criticising the “politics of appeasement” which, he argued, led to the division of India.
The Minister was speaking in the Lok Sabha during the debate marking the 150th anniversary of the patriotic song Vande Mataram.
Addressing the House, Rajnath Singh said, “Vande Mataram is complete in itself, but attempts were made to make it incomplete.” He highlighted how political compromises and concessions, particularly around the time of Partition, undermined the song’s status as a unifying symbol of the nation’s freedom struggle.
Singh lamented that despite its profound significance, Vande Mataram did not receive the justice it deserved post-Independence. “Vande Mataram was marginalized after 1947,” he said, urging the country to recognize the anthem’s true historical and cultural value. He called on the nation to seize the moment on the song’s 150th anniversary to restore it to its former glory.
The Defence Minister also took a firm stance against the politics that, in his view, weakened India’s unity. “The politics of appeasement led to the division of India,” Singh asserted, linking political decisions that diluted Vande Mataram’s prominence to the tragic communal divide that resulted in Partition.
Emphasizing the anthem’s enduring power, he described Vande Mataram as an emotional and ideological backbone of India’s freedom movement, representing centuries of cultural heritage and the vision of an independent nation. “It is the demand of the time to return Vande Mataram to its glory,” Singh said, calling upon all Indians to honour the song’s legacy with renewed respect and pride.
Singh’s speech resonated deeply within the Lok Sabha, reinforcing the government’s commitment to reclaiming Vande Mataram as a symbol of national unity and patriotism. His remarks echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s earlier critiques of historical compromises and served as a clarion call to revive the anthem’s rightful place in India’s national identity.
As the debate on Vande Mataram unfolded, Rajnath Singh’s words underscored the continuing political and cultural significance of the song, framing it not merely as a patriotic hymn, but as a symbol of India’s enduring unity and strength.
