Do not understand problem in singing Vande Mataram: Vice President

LIKE RABINDRANATH TAGORE, BHARATI ALSO WANTED INDIA TO BREAK THE NARROW DOMESTIC WALLS AND BREAK FREE FROM THE CASTE SYSTEM, NAIDU SAID.

CHENNAI: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday said he did not understand what was the problem in singing “Vande Mataram”, which meant “salutations to the mother”, a song that had inspired millions during the country’s freedom movement.

He recalled that Sister Nivedita, a disciple of Swami Vivekananda, had opened a girls’ school and tried to inculcate the nationalist spirit in the students by introducing “Vande Mataram” as a prayer song.

“She (Sister Nivedita) had introduced Vande Mataram as a prayer song in the school...now, some people have a problem with Vande Mataram also. What is Vande Mataram? Mata Vandanam, Amma Vanakkam -that is Vande Mataram.

“After so many years, now we are discussing (if) Vande Mataram is good or not, nationalism and patriotism are good or not. Also, we feel shy to talk about all this,” Naidu said.

He was speaking as the chief guest at an event to commemorate the 96th birth anniversary of nationalist poet Subra mania Bharati, which falls tomorrow.

Paying rich tributes to Bharati, Naidu said the reformist poet wanted Indians to be proud of their heritage.

Like Sister Nivedita, Vande Mataram had inspired Bharati as well and he spread the spirit of the national song, the vice president said, while quoting a patriotic song penned by the poet.

Drawing similarities between Bharati attaching importance to cleanliness and Mahatma Gandhi’s view -- cleanliness is next to godliness -- he said, “We see the renewal of the focus on cleanliness in Swachh Bharat.”

Like Rabindranath Tagore, Bharati also wanted India to break the narrow domestic walls and break free from the caste system, Naidu said.

Bharati considered all living beings equal and to illustrate this, he had conducted the “Upanayanam” (thread ceremony) of a Dalit man and made him a Brahmin, he added.