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After 150 years, Bengal, the country that gave birth to Bankim Chandra Chattapadhyay’s immortal anthem, seems to have distanced itself politically from him
A portrait of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, author of the national song Vande Mataram, during a ceremony to commemorate the song’s 150th anniversary in Kolkata. (Photo by PTI)
Vande Matarameven 150 years after its creation, it still gives goosebumps to most Indians. A song that once stirred India’s soul, written by a Bengali who dreamed of a free homeland, was celebrated on Friday by India’s prime minister, kicking off a series of annual events across the country.
However, as Bengal gears up for another hard-fought election in 2026, the TMC and the Left have practically ceded space to the BJP when it comes to defending the immortal anthem Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.
Bankim Vande Mataram was not just a poem but the first articulation of cultural nationalism in the Indian imagination. Composed in 1875 and included in his novel Anandamata (1882), set against the backdrop of the Sannyasi Rebellion in the 18th century, depicts an emotional rebellion against colonial rule before it is political. It was sung at Congressional sessions in the early 1900s and banned by the British for “inciting sedition.”
Every freedom fighter — from Aurobindo to Lajpat Rai, from Tilak to Bipin Chandra Pal — saw it as India’s wake-up call.
But 150 years later, Bengal, the country that gave birth to the song, seems to have distanced itself politically from it. The state that once presided over the intellectual and nationalist ferment in India is now ashamed to celebrate the very idea it gave birth to.
Vande Mataramonce a symbol of unity, has unofficially become politically inconvenient for many.
Politics of symbolism
The BJP went all out to celebrate the day by holding more than 1,500 rallies across Bengal. From the hills of Darjeeling to the streets of Kolkata, the BJP marched, flaunting the tricolor and singing the national anthem.
The party loudly embraces it as part of its cultural-nationalist identity, seeing it as a bridge between Bengal’s literary heritage and its own idea of Bharat Mata.
But for the Trinamool Congress, the dilemma is more complex. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s politics thrive on Bengali pride — she has brought Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul back to Islam and even icons of the Left. However, TMC is celebrating Bankim’s Vande Mataram was quite muted.
On Monday, only the standing committee on industry and infrastructure of the Bengal government approved the formation of a committee to chalk out a plan to celebrate the 150th anniversary of India’s national song.
“We are paying our respects to Bankim Chandra Chattapadhyay… Public is also participating in large numbers… TMC is not a patriotic party…” Bengal Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikary lashed out at TMC for its muted response.
The Left, once the custodians of intellectual nationalism in Bengal, has also completely vacated this space. In a strange irony, the country that once turned Bankim’s words into a riot now seems to be debating whether it is politically safe to say them.
What is left of Bengal Bankim?
Bankim’s vision of the homeland was not communal; it was civilized. AnandamataThe call was spiritual, not sectarian. He saw the earth itself as divine, a metaphor that transcended religion. His “Mother” was both the soil of Bengal and the idea of India.
The first major rallying point took place in 1905, when Vande Mataram became a central part of the protests against the partition of Bengal. At a Calcutta town hall meeting of 40,000 people to protest Lord Curzon’s decision, everyone sang together Vande Mataram. Bengal was both the homeland of the song and the place where the phrase took on iconic, redemptive significance among revolutionaries.
But political India, and especially political Bengal, reduced it to a slogan or silence. In Delhi, Vande Mataram still opens official events. But in Bengal, she is fighting for cultural space. The state that gave birth to Bankim, Vivekananda, Tagore and Subhas Bose now finds its civilizational icons politically marked according to their respective political conveniences.
Anindya Banerjee, Associate Editor, brings to the fore more than fifteen years of journalistic prowess. Focusing on politics and policy, Anindya has accumulated a wealth of experience, with a deep throat in… More details
Nov 8, 2025, 11:43 am IST
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