The attempt to turn Vande Mataram into a religious vehicle comes at a particularly sensitive time in India, when minorities are already facing the pressure of communal politics and attacks by forces determined to replace the country’s diversity with religious and cultural homogeneity. The present controversy is not simply about devotion or nationalism. It is about the decision to treat the complete version of Vande Mataram, including verses that describe the motherland through the images of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati, as a compulsory expression of national loyalty. That changes the meaning of the song. In such an atmosphere, the demand that citizens accept verses that were deliberately left out of the accepted national song is bound to create resentment. There is no debate that Indian citizens should respect Vande Mataram since its historic place in India’s freedom struggle is undeniable. The verses were left out deliberately by the founders in 1949 as part of a considered national compromise at the time of Independence. They understood that patriotism must be broad enough to accommodate citizens of every faith. Jana Gana Mana was chosen as the national anthem, while Vande Mataram was given the status of national song, with the first two verses generally accepted for public occasions. Trying to reopen that settlement today, particularly when the complete song is being presented as an expression of national loyalty, inevitably raises questions about intent. For a majority community, singing verses invoking Durga, Lakshmi or Saraswati may be a deeply emotional expression of love for the motherland. But India does not consist of the majority alone. A Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist or citizen of any other faith cannot be compelled to participate in a religious expression simply because it has acquired political importance. Refusing to sing a religious verse cannot automatically be equated with refusing to love the country. Patriotism is not a religious ritual. It is reflected in how citizens live, work, pay taxes, obey the law, serve their communities and stand by the country in difficult times. A soldier defending the border, a teacher educating children, a farmer feeding the nation and a worker contributing to the economy do not become less patriotic because they decline to sing a particular religious verse. The timing makes the issue even more troubling. Minorities already feel vulnerable in an environment where religious identity is increasingly used in political mobilisation. When a national song is added to this climate and citizens are expected to prove their loyalty by singing verses they may regard as religious, the song ceases to be a symbol of unity. It becomes a test of belonging. A diverse country cannot build unity by enforcing a majoritarian ideology. India’s strength has always been its ability to accommodate different religions, languages, cultures and traditions within one constitutional framework. Homogeneity may make political mobilisation easier, but it weakens the very diversity that has sustained the Indian idea. The country does not need another loyalty test. It needs reassurance that citizenship is equal, patriotism is voluntary and diversity is not a weakness to be corrected. Vande Mataram belongs to India’s history. It should not be turned into an instrument for deciding who is Indian enough. A song can inspire patriotism when it is freely sung. The moment it is forced upon citizens as proof of loyalty, it stops being a song of unity and becomes an instrument of division.
Saturday, August 15, 2026