Narendra Modi inaugurates celebrations of Vande Mataram 150 years, highlights role of song in India’s independence and unity

In a blunt attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said important verses of the national song “Vande Mataram” were removed in 1937, which had sown the seeds of partition and said such “divisive mentality” was still a challenge for the country.

Modi made the remarks while inaugurating the year-long commemoration of “Vande Mataram” to commemorate 150 years of the national song. On the occasion, he also released a commemorative stamp and coin at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here.

He said, “Vande Mataram became the voice of India’s freedom struggle, it expressed the sentiments of every Indian. Unfortunately, in 1937, important verses of Vande Mataram…its soul were removed. The division of Vande Mataram also sowed the seeds of division. Today’s generation needs to know why so much injustice was done to this ‘Maha Mantra’ of nation building…This divisive mentality is a challenge for the country even today.”

Saying that “Vande Mataram” is relevant in every era, the Prime Minister made an apparent reference to Operation Sindoor, saying, “When the enemy dared to attack our security and honor using terrorism, the world saw that India knew how to take the form of Durga”.

The Prime Minister said that as the country is completing 150 years of “Vande Mataram”, it gives us new inspiration and fills the people of the country with new energy.

He said, “Vande Mataram is a word, a mantra, an energy, a dream, a resolve. It is a devotion to Bharat Mata, a worship of Bharat Mata. It connects us to our history and gives new courage to our future. There is no resolve which cannot be achieved, there is no goal which we Indians cannot accomplish. We have to build a nation which is at the top based on knowledge, science and technology.”

The event marks the formal beginning of a year-long nationwide commemoration from November 7, 2025 to November 7, 2026 – celebrating 150 years of the classic work that inspired India’s independence movement and continues to instill national pride and unity.

The song was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee on the occasion of Akshaya Navami, which fell on 7 November 1875.

The song first appeared in the literary magazine “Bangadarshan” as part of Chatterjee’s novel “Anandamath”.