Ranchi: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has strongly condemned what it described as the misuse of the issue of giving statutory priority to all six stanzas of Vande Mataram by the BJP and Hindutva forces.
The CPI(M) said it had earlier expressed its views in detail on the historical context in which Vande Mataram was officially accorded the status of the National Song. According to the party, the six stanzas were incorporated much later, after several decades, with the intention of linking the song with Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel Anandamath. It said that, keeping this historical context and its implications in view, Rabindranath Tagore himself had not considered it appropriate to accept the song as the National Anthem.
The party said it had no objection to the singing of the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram. These were the stanzas commonly sung during the freedom struggle and in the Constituent Assembly as well. However, the CPI(M) alleged that attempts were now being made to portray the singing of the version containing all six stanzas as the sole test of patriotism.
“This clearly exposes the communal and divisive agenda of Hindutva forces,” the party said.
The CPI(M) also criticised what it termed the “display of superficial patriotism”, referring to the incident in which the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker reportedly walked out of the House while the National Anthem was being sung. The party said the incident exposed the alleged hypocrisy of those claiming to be the sole custodians of patriotism.
The CPI(M) maintained that such moves weaken the unity of the people and promote division. It also questioned the credentials of those who, according to the party, had not shown the courage to raise the slogan of Vande Mataram during the freedom struggle but were now using it to define patriotism.
The party reiterated that all concepts and symbols approved by the Constitution must be respected as integral parts of the idea of India and as recognition of the country’s pluralism and inclusiveness.
The statement was issued by Prakash Viplav, Central Committee Member, on behalf of the Jharkhand State Committee of the CPI(M).
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