Contextualising Vande Mataram

Irfan Ahmed

midst the heat of recent novel, it acquired a new political century India and also as the controversy over the meaning from its context. It creator of the Bangla novel, A compulsory singing of became an integral part of a story Bankim Chandra (1838-94) was Vande Mataram in the government woven around the theme of a essentially a political visionary. run schools, the real issue has weak Hindu nation, with Muslims His main concern, especially in been completely lost sight of— being recurring negative points of the latter phase of his life, was to the historical context in reference. The song, therefore, give his diagnosis of the reasons which Bankim Chandra Chatterjee cannot be detached from the for the downfall of Hindu glory, composed it and its link with a political context of the novel. A recast Hindu religious traditions particular political ideology. text without context is a fairy in these changed circumstances Understanding this context is tale. Second, it was not only a and use the results to fashion a necessary in order to know why rallying cry for the nationalists in new Hindu political identity. the proponents of Hindutva the anti-colonial struggle but Bankim’s new approach marked a consider it as a major symbol of also a powerful Hindu slogan sharp and radical departure from genuine ‘national’ awakening. sung during Hindu-Muslim all the previous reformer thinkers Muslims fear it as a frontal assault violence. According to Tanika like Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772- on their religio-cultural identity as Sarkar, a historian of modern 1833), who sought to harmonise evident from Ali Mian’s edict to India, it was chanted during the traditional religions with modern withdraw Muslim wards from riots of 1926. European ideas. In Bankim’s new those government run schools Rightly regarded as one of the version of Hinduism, religion where it is sung. The Muslim fear towering personalities of the ceased to be an agency for in turn creates lurking doubts in Bengal renaissance in 19th spiritual salvation. It no longer ‘nationalist’ minds about their remained a medium of dialogue loyalty to India. The central between man and the ultimate. question, therefore, is not Instead it became a means of whether or not the state should creating a virulent Hindu nation make the recitation of Vande that he intended for remedying Mataram obligatory for what he viewed as two daunting schoolchildren, as the armchair challenges: the internal weakness ‘secularists’ conveniently argue, of Hinduism and a tyranny of but rather whether Vande Mataram Islam and Muslims over Hindus. really represents authentic The weakness of Hinduism, as nationalism. he saw it, was its quietism and But before we historically perhaps its undue stress on the situate it, some facts are in order. spirit. No wonder then, he had no First, Bankim wrote the song sympathy for Vedic Vendantist Vande Mataram in 1875. Later, philosophy, as it did not support when Bankim had finished the his politically militant, even much acclaimed novel Anand- violent, heroic agenda. Nothing math, he inserted the song within demonstrates this point more the story. With its inclusion in the starkly than his portrayal ANOOP KAMATH

No. 111 29 of the Bhakti movement. For towards the goddess, the priest new definition of Hinduism, him, the Bhakti-Sufi traditions, asks Mahendra who she is. The adopted this song as truly shining symbols of a composite priest himself answers by saying representative of Hindu culture culture, meant nothing but that she is the Mother and we are and nationalism. In fact, for it submission and passivity. In all her sons. He then asks Vande Mataram is more authentic his new interpretation he replaced Mahendra to sing Vande than Tagore’s Jana Gana Mana, Krishna, the lover, the devotee, Mataram. Elsewhere in the novel, which is the accepted anthem of by Krishna the politician, the a roaring slogan “slay the the Indian republic. The hymn in warrior. Muslims” is raised with the echo its entirety is religiously sung in As for Muslims, in all Bankim’s of Vande Mataram in the the daily Shakhas of the RSS, an writings one can discern a background. At yet another place, organisation whose attitude condescending attitude towards the mob of loyal santaans towards non-Hindus is too well them. In the last phase of his life (progeny) of the Motherland cry known to be repeated here. he produced three major novels— “Unless we throw these dirty It is thus amply clear that Sitaram, Mrinalini and the bastards [Muslims] out, Hindus Bankim’s hymn in the novel as masterpiece Anandmath. They are will be ruined… When shall also its aggressive advocacy by all marked by a deep-rooted we raze mosques down to the the RSS is politically motivated hatred against Muslims, who are ground and erect Radhamadhav’s since Muslims are sweepingly blamed for the downfall of Hindu temples in their place?” (Bankim identified as the adversary. A glory. He invokes his own version Rachnabali vol.1 Calcutta, 1953, nationalism which deliberately of Indian history to contrast with p.768) “Kill the Muslims,” says stigmatises Muslims as ‘swine’ the present day status of Hindus. Tanika Sarkar, “is the refrain and ‘the other’ can by no means His version is selective and that is repeatedly raised in be an inclusive nationalism aggressive against Muslims. For Anandmath.” uniting under its fold the diverse him, ideal Hindu society existed No one who has seriously communities that inhabit this much before the Muslim studied Bankim can repudiate his country. Muslims are as much ‘invasion’, hence he offers no rabidly militant, anti-Muslim part of this great nation as any reference to the medieval era in harangue in Anandmath. Vande other religious community and India in which different cultures Mataram is supposed to serve as hence their loyalty to India is intermingled and fashioned a new a rallying cry for the ‘true’ beyond the narrow litmus test of vibrant synthesis out of them. santaans of the Motherland. The Vande Mataram.
India is symbolised as Bharat story, however, does not stop ------Mata and Bharat Mata is here. In post-independence India, Irfan Ahmed is a research exclusively equated with Hindu the RSS, which has more than an scholar in sociology at Jawahar religion and culture. ideological affinity with Bankim’s Lal Nehru University, Delhi. It is the worship of sacred Bharat Mata which is the theme An Appeal To Our Subscribers of Anandmath (1882). Fired by his zeal to deify the Motherland, the A lot of copies of MANUSHI get lost or stolen in the mail. We hero of the novel invites his friend appeal to you to let us know if your copy of MANUSHI is not reaching Mahendra to support his holy you. A sure sign that you didn’t receive an issue due to you is when mission. The invitation begins your subscription skips one or more numbers - for example, if you with the hymn Vande Mataram. get MANUSHI 86 and 88 but not MANUSHI 87. On being asked by Mahendra what it means, the hero tells It is very important to us that you stay closely connected with him it means their religion is MANUSHI and do not miss any issue. Therefore, we make it a point to ruined, their honour destroyed. send duplicate copies when a subscriber writes to let us know about They cannot save Hinduism copies not received. However, we can send duplicate copies only if unless the Muslims are driven you let us know within one month of the succeeding issue number. out. Unconvinced, Mahendra hesitates. He is then taken to the Please help us to reach you with every issue. temple of Anandmath. Pointing

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