The Contested Legacy of Vande Mataram

(For CLAT 2027 Aspirants | CLAT Gurukul Current Affairs Analysis)

Introduction

Vande Mataram occupies a unique and contested position in India’s national imagination. Revered as the national song, it has simultaneously been a source of ideological disagreement, political negotiation, and constitutional accommodation. The debate has resurfaced recently after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued a clarification regarding the singing of Vande Mataram during official functions, bringing back into focus an old but unresolved question: why are only the first two stanzas officially sung, despite the song having six stanzas?

This issue is not merely cultural. It intersects with constitutional values, secularism, nationalism, minority rights, and historical interpretation—all of which are highly relevant for CLAT aspirants. Understanding the layered history of Vande Mataram helps students critically examine how symbols of nationalism evolve and how the Indian state has attempted to balance unity with diversity.

Why in News (Current Affairs Relevance)

• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently reiterated official protocols stating that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram are to be sung during official functions.
• This clarification reopened public and academic debate over:
  • The religious imagery in the later stanzas
  • The historical opposition raised during the freedom movement
  • The Congress Working Committee’s 1937 resolution, which still guides official policy
• Editorial discussions, including in The Indian Express, have contextualised this issue within India’s constitutional and political history.

For CLAT Current Affairs 2026, this topic is important because it connects history + polity + constitutional values + contemporary governance.

Background: Origin of Vande Mataram

• Vande Mataram was composed in 1875 by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.
• It was later included in his novel Anandamath, set against the backdrop of the Sannyasi Rebellion (1770s) in Bengal.
• The song depicts the motherland as divine, initially in natural imagery and later in explicitly Hindu goddess forms.

Structure of the Song: Six Stanzas Explained

1. First Two Stanzas
   • Describe the beauty, fertility, and abundance of the motherland
   • Use non-religious, metaphorical language
   • Universally acceptable and emotionally evocative
2. Third & Fourth Stanzas
   • Introduce imagery of armed resistance
   • Portray the motherland as a force ready to fight oppression
3. Fifth Stanza
   • Explicitly identifies the motherland with Durga
   • Introduces religious symbolism
4. Sixth Stanza
   • Mentions Lakshmi and Saraswati
   • Reinforces Hindu theological imagery

Role in the Freedom Movement

• Vande Mataram became a mobilising slogan during:
  • Anti-colonial protests
  • Swadeshi Movement (1905)
• British authorities:
  • Considered it seditious
  • Attempted to suppress it through intimidation and violence
• A significant incident occurred at the 1906 Bengal Provincial Conference (Barisal), where:
  • Volunteers shouting Vande Mataram were lathi-charged
  • The incident transformed the song into a symbol of sacrifice and resistance

Muslim Objections and the Congress Position

• Sections of the Muslim community objected to:
  • The invocation of Hindu goddesses
  • The portrayal of Muslims as adversaries in Anandamath
• These objections were raised within the freedom movement itself, not post-Independence.
• In 1937, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) passed a formal resolution:
  • Declaring Vande Mataram a national song
  • Restricting official singing to the first two stanzas
  • Acknowledging religious sensitivities while preserving nationalist symbolism

Interpretation of the 1937 Resolution

Key arguments made in the resolution:

• The first two stanzas had gained wide acceptance and national significance
• They were free from religious content
• The remaining stanzas:
  • Were less known
  • Contained ideological elements not shared across communities
• The intent was to make the song inclusive, not exclusive

This resolution remains the constitutional and political basis for present-day protocol.

Post-Independence Status

• Vande Mataram was accorded the status of National Song
• The National Anthem became Jana Gana Mana, composed by Rabindranath Tagore
• Importantly:
  • Vande Mataram was never made mandatory
  • Courts have repeatedly upheld freedom of conscience regarding patriotic expressions

The “Two Worlds” Interpretation

Historian Tanika Sarkar argues:

• The song effectively exists in two versions:
  • A two-stanza civic-nationalist version
  • A six-stanza religio-cultural version
• The truncated version allowed the song to:
  • Be integrated into a secular constitutional framework
  • Avoid alienating minority communities

Hindutva vs Constitutional Nationalism

• Some modern political groups advocate:
  • Singing all six stanzas
  • Treating Vande Mataram as an article of faith
• Critics argue this:
  • Undermines the carefully negotiated consensus of the freedom movement
  • Converts nationalism into a religious litmus test
• Scholar Rajat Shubhra Majumdar Dasgupta notes:
  • This reflects a broader trend of appropriating national symbols for ideological assertion

Legal and Constitutional Perspective (CLAT Focus)

• Article 19(1)(a): Freedom of expression (includes the right not to sing)
• Article 25: Freedom of conscience and religion
• Supreme Court rulings (e.g., Bijoe Emmanuel v. State of Kerala):
  • Affirm that patriotism cannot be coerced
• The Vande Mataram compromise reflects:
  • Constitutional morality
  • Respect for pluralism

Why This Topic Matters for CLAT 2026

• Tests understanding of:
  • National symbols
  • Constitutional values
  • Historical compromises
• Useful for:
  • Legal Reasoning passages
  • Current Affairs opinion-based questions
  • Essay and interview preparation
• Demonstrates how law, history, and politics intersect

Conclusion

The controversy around Vande Mataram is not about disrespecting nationalism, but about defining it carefully. The decision to officially sing only the first two stanzas reflects the maturity of India’s freedom movement and its commitment to inclusion. Revisiting this debate reminds us that national unity in India has always been built through accommodation, not imposition.

For CLAT aspirants, this topic offers a textbook example of how constitutional democracy manages diversity, making it essential reading under CLAT Current affairs 2026 and Current Affairs 2026.

Notes: Explanation of Peculiar Terms

• Sannyasi Rebellion: An 18th-century uprising in Bengal by ascetics and peasants against British economic policies.
• Congress Working Committee (CWC): The highest decision-making body of the Indian National Congress.
• National Song vs National Anthem: The national song has symbolic recognition; the anthem has constitutional protocol.
• Seditions (Colonial Context): British legal categorisation of nationalist expressions as threats to state authority.
• Constitutional Morality: Adherence to constitutional values beyond majoritarian impulses.