Vande Mataram: From Novel to National Song

Picture Bengal in the 1870s. A deputy magistrate under British rule writes stories in his spare time. His name is Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. Around 1875, he writes a short hymn to the motherland. It opens with two words: “Vande Mataram”. They mean “I bow to you, Mother.”

Which novel holds the song?

• Bankim placed the song in his Bengali novel Anandamath.
• The novel came out as a book in 1882. It first ran in his magazine, Bangadarshan.
• The story is set during the Sannyasi Rebellion in Bengal, in the late 18th century.
• That time also saw the Great Bengal Famine of 1770.

Who wrote, and who set the tune?

• Bankim wrote the words.
• Rabindranath Tagore set it to music.
• Tagore sang it at the 1896 Congress session in Calcutta.

A song in a novel is one thing. A slogan on the street is another. Here is how Vande Mataram made that jump.

What happened in 1905?

• In 1905, Lord Curzon split Bengal into two parts.
• People protested in the Swadeshi Movement.
• Crowds chanted “Vande Mataram” at rallies. It became the movement’s slogan.

Where else did the words appear?

• Bande Mataram was also the name of an English newspaper started in 1906. Bipin Chandra Pal began it, and Aurobindo Ghose edited it.
• In 1907, Bhikaiji Cama raised an Indian flag in Stuttgart, Germany. It carried the words “Vande Mataram”.

Why were only two stanzas sung?

• Some later stanzas use Hindu religious images of the motherland.
• Some leaders felt these could keep out other communities.
• So in October 1937, the Congress chose to sing only the first two stanzas.
• Gandhi, Nehru, Bose and Maulana Azad agreed. Tagore also backed the shorter version.

What happened on 24 January 1950?

• This was the last sitting of the Constituent Assembly.
• Dr. Rajendra Prasad announced the choice.
• Jana Gana Mana became the National Anthem.
• Vande Mataram became the National Song.
• He said the song would get equal honour, because of its role in the freedom struggle.

Here’s the trap

• The Constitution itself does not name the National Song.
• Article 51A(a), a Fundamental Duty, asks us to respect the National Flag and the National Anthem.
• It does not mention Vande Mataram.

What did the 1971 Act already protect?

• The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 protected three things.
• They were the National Flag, the Constitution and the National Anthem.
• Section 3 punished anyone who stops the Anthem being sung, or disturbs a group singing it.
• The penalty is up to three years in jail, a fine, or both.
• A later amendment set a minimum of one year in jail for repeat offenders.

How did the 2026 Bill become law?

• The Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on 24 July 2026, and the Rajya Sabha passed it first.
• The Lok Sabha passed it on 30 July 2026, by voice vote.
• President Droupadi Murmu gave assent on 11 August 2026.

What does it change?

• It amends Section 3 to cover Vande Mataram too.
• Stopping its singing on purpose, or disturbing a group singing it, is now a crime.
• So the National Song now has the same legal protection as the Anthem.
• The Hindu reports that the new rules ask for all six stanzas at official functions, schools and public events.

(Source: The Hindu)

Think of a school function. The band plays two songs. Which one comes first? There is now a fixed rule.

• On 9 July 2026, the Home Ministry wrote to all States and Union Ministries.
• It said: when both are rendered, the National Song comes first.
• For bands, a roll of drums comes before the song. It lasts seven paces in slow march.

What about State songs?

• The Home Ministry letter does not say where a State song fits.
• Tamil Nadu issued an order on 12 August 2026. It puts its State song, Tamil Thai Vazhthu, first at State functions.

(Source: The Hindu)

How was the 150th year marked?

• The year-long celebration began in November 2025.
• On 10 July 2026, Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan opened a permanent exhibition, “Vande Mataram: A Journey”.
• It is at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Shimla. Bad weather made him open it online.

What happened at the Red Fort?

• On 15 August 2026, Vande Mataram was sung at the Red Fort on Independence Day for the first time.
• It came before the National Anthem.
• About 2,500 NCC cadets and MY Bharat volunteers formed the words “Vande Mataram” on Gyanpath.

(Source: The Hindu)

Did everyone agree?

• No. Opposition parties criticised the law in Parliament.
• The Lok Sabha debate lasted barely 15 minutes.
• Some States, such as Keralam, skipped the song at their own Independence Day events. That led to political rows.