What did Parliamentary debate achieve?

150^th year of the national song, Vande Matram, was celebrated on November 7, 2025. Not the one to miss any opportunity to flex nationalistic muscles, the government decided to debate the momentous occasion in Parliament. And rightly too, given the historic significance of the song and the impact it had on Freedom Struggle to awaken the masses en route driving the Britons off-shore.

The debate was a welcome move. It was truly a historic occasion and needed to be celebrated with aplomb both in Parliament and outside. However, the manner in which the debate was held has left a bad taste in the mouth of “We the People” and has made us a laughing stock internationally.

Did the debate, with its controversial tone and tenor, achieve its purpose to awaken and inform new generations of Indians apart from celebrating the occasion? Did the debate succeed in instilling a strong sense of patriotism in the people which the ruling dispensation always claims to be its prime goal?

Finally, what has been the net outcome? Was it bonhomous?

The flat answer to these questions is an emphatic no. None of these goals have been achieved. On the contrary, one is forced to think whether this was the real aim or a mere charade to achieve some pecuniary political ends?

It has been rare in the last one decade for Prime Minister to kick-start a debate. Given the significance of the event he chose to lead the nation in remembering and celebrating the golden lines of ‘Vande Matram’, it was an opportunity when everyone should have risen to the occasion and passionately remembered the impact which this national song, penned by the revered Mr Bankim Chandra Chattopadhya, had in uniting the people and invigorating the Freedom Struggle.

If the prime mover of the idea was the Union Government, and logically too, the onus lied on the current dispensation to make the debate meaningful and fruitful. More in the interest of the nation than harping on ideological moorings and electoral necessities. Such issues of immense national importance should be above political and electoral interests. Alas, that was not to be.

The entire debate got mired in controversies. At the end, it raised a vital question; was it really intended to celebrate 150th year of the national song? It became clear beyond doubt that the purpose behind holding this debate was purely politico-electoral, focused on coming West Bengal assembly elections, and targeting the Congress particularly the Nehru-Gandhi family. The no-holds-barred attack led by Mr Modi in this regard, and forceful attempts by Leaders of Oppositions in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Mr Rahul Gandhi and Mr Malik Arjun Kharge respectively to counter this, defeated the very purpose.

The government lost a golden opportunity to take the carefully crafted image to the next level and silence critics. This was an occasion when the government could have risen beyond politics and carried the entire Parliament along, but that was not to be. Ostensibly, the electoral and ideological greed proved far-too overriding the national interest.

At the end of the debate, Parliament and the polity emerged further divided and the nation bruised. There were no winners and the nation lost. An electoral victory, if it happens, at a heavy cost is undesirable.

The only silver-lining in this rancorous debate was certain historic facts being reemphasised and public memory re-ignited to the realities and developments related to the adoption of the first two stanzas of the Nation Song as the tagline for the Freedom Struggle. The manner in which the ruling NDA and its top leaders sought to dissect the events through the divisive prism not only showed their lack of understanding but also betrayed the Freedom Fighters.

Fact of the matter is that instead of making it a well-structured debate, the movers of the idea focused on what they described as “mutilation of the song” while relating it to a social resolution of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting held in Calcutta on October 30, 1937. What is a strong uniting factor all through, was torn asunder within hours.

The repeated attempt by the BJP’s top leadership to turn the clock back and view the events of the past centuries in the context of their electoral convenience rather than taking a broader national view, will only create complications. How a united nation can be taken forward, rather than what could have prevented the partition of the country, should have been the prime goal. However, the power has its own way.

The particular CWC meeting, apparently, has been made a target as it was chaired by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The fact that the very session had almost all the stalwarts such as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Mr Rajendra Prasad, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Mr Bhulabhai Desai, Mr Jamnalal Bajaj, Acharya J.B. Kripalani (General Secretary), Mr Pattabi Seetharamiah, Rajaji, Acharya Narendra Dev, Mr Jayaprakash Narayan, and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in attendance, and gave their consent, makes it significant.

Though Mahatma Gandhi was not a member of the CWC, he was a special invitee and was overseeing the working of the resolution moved by Mr Rajendra Prasad (later, the President of India) and seconded by Sardar Patel (the Home Minister in independent India) show that adoption of the resolution was a collective wisdom of the nation represented by these towering leaders.

The resolution was unanimous, as it read: “The Working Committee have given careful consideration to the question that has been raised in regard to the Congress anthem ‘Vande Mataram’. This song has a historic background and has evoked deep enthusiasm and powerful sentiment in the course of our struggle for freedom. It has thus acquired a unique place in the national movement. The Committee recognize the validity of the objections raised by Muslim friends to certain parts of the song. While the Committee have taken note of such objections in so far as it has felt justified in doing so, it is unable to go any further in the matter. The Committee have, however, come to the conclusion that the rest two stanzas of the song, which alone have been generally sung on Congress and other public occasions, should be the only stanzas adopted as the National Song for the purpose of the Congress and other public bodies and functions. These two stanzas are in no sense objectionable even from the standpoint of those who have raised objections, and they contain the essence of the song. The Committee recommend that wherever the ‘Vande Mataram’ song is sung at national gatherings, only these two stanzas should be sung, and the version and music prepared by Rabindranath Tagore should be followed.

The Committee trusts that this decision will remove all causes of complaint and will have the willing acceptance of all communities in the country.”

The fact that Mr Jayprakash Narayan, who led the historic political upheaval in 1977 that saw ouster of Indira Gandhi-led Congress and formation of a non-Congress government of which Bharatiya Jan Sangh, the erstwhile avtar of BJP, and Sardar Patel, the adopted (usurped) icon of BJP had agreed with the resolution, was perhaps conveniently forgotten by the ruling elite of the day. By targeting this resolution, they attacked a spectrum of national leaders who played an important role not only in freedom struggle but also in laying the foundation of Free India and shaping its polity.

Raising doubts about the purpose and spirit of the National Song in its present form in the 21^st century and ignoring facts to score political brownie points and pour scorn on some imminent political leaders of the yore, is certainly not in the national interest. The manner in which the debate happened, it has widened the chasm between the ruling and opposition parties at great consternation to the country.

Author is a veteran journalist and a political analyst with over 40 years experience. He has worked with leading national and regional newspapers.