Vande Mataram Controversy Sparks Discussion On Patriotism & Polarisation | #vandemataram

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:00]You know, I I I think I think Zeenat Shaukat Ali should come into this discussion because, you know, increasingly we are seeing that even the minority community may not object to it, but it is the political parties who object to it and make it about about a talking point which tends to lead leads to polarization and puts minorities on on kind of some kind of patriotism test.

[00:00:27]Thank you for inviting me to the show. I think I think you're quite right. You see, it's when politics comes into this kind of a debate and upsetting, uh you know, it upsets the natural equilibrium.

[00:00:40]The song was used as a you know, as one of the greatest cries for our freedom struggle in the past, as we all know. I'm not getting into that, but at the present moment, and it always there were always discussions on it. You know, the the assembly discussed because there were the first two verses which were acceptable, and the next two verses which contained, you know, symbols of other the Hindu religion. You know, they said that it was better that we use only the first two verses, and there were debates on that. There were you know, the people talked about it, and there was no doubt to it, and there was no controversy that it was a wonderful song, and it had to be the song of India. So, and it was as valuable to us as Vande as Jana Gana Mana. So, I think this entire debate when even if we talk about it, even if we discuss whether we should use only the first two verses or the rest, why should it not go into the madrassas?

[00:01:45]Even if we use the first two verses, if there is a a school system, uh you know, which uses you know, anthems by itself, uh the Indian national anthem. So, why shouldn't you know the madrasas are also schools?

[00:02:04]Why should they not be >> are educational institutions. Madrasas are educational institutions. It should be seen from that prism.