Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to commemorate 150 years of the national song, Vande Mataram, next month, saying the image of India in its words was an inspiration.
In his Mann Ki Baat, Modi said, “Patriotism… love for Ma Bharati… if this is an emotion beyond words, then Vande Mataram is the song that lends tangible voice form to that abstract feeling. It was composed (and written) by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay to infuse new life into an India weakened by centuries of servitude. Vande Mataram might have been written in the 19th century, but its spirit is connected to the immortal consciousness of India that is thousands of years old.”
On November 7, he said, the country will be celebrating 150 years of Vande Mataram which was sung for the first time by Rabindranath Tagore in 1896.
“Crores of countrymen have always felt an immense surge of national pride in the rendition of Vande Mataram. Our generations have seen a vibrant and magnificent image of India in the words of Vande Mataram…This is the very India we have to build. Vande Mataram will always be our inspiration in these efforts,” he said.
He said that five years ago during an episode of Mann Ki Baat, he had urged people and security forces to adopt Indian dog breeds, and highlighted that commendable efforts have been made by forces in that direction.
“BSF and CRPF have increased number of Indian breed dogs in their contingents… Now BSF has started assigning Indian names to its dogs instead of foreign names. Our indigenous dogs have also displayed amazing courage. Last year, during a patrol in a Maoist-affected area of Chhattisgarh, an indigenous dog of CRPF detected 8 kg of explosives,” he said.
Paying tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel ahead of his 150th birth anniversary on October 31, he said, “He made unparalleled efforts for unity and integrity of the country. I urge all to participate in Run For Unity on October 31… This should become an opportunity for youth awakening… This will be our true tribute to the great luminary.”
