150 Years of Vande Mataram
Context:
November 7, 2025, marks the 150th anniversary of India's National Song, Vande Mataram
It was composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.
It was first published in the literary journal Bangadarshan in 1875, later included in Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s novel “Anandamath” (published in 1882).
The song became an emblem of India's struggle for independence and was adopted as the National Song by the Constituent Assembly in 1950
Vande Mataram:
Vande Mataram was sung at the 1896 session of the Congress by Rabindranath Tagore.
The song was first used as a political slogan in 1905 Calcutta during the historic meeting that adopted the resolution on boycotting foreign goods
It became the anthem of the anti-partition and Swadeshi movements
A Bande Mataram Sampradaya was founded in North Calcutta in 1905 to promote the idea of the Motherland.
Its members went on morning processions singing the song.
In 1906 over ten thousand Hindus and Muslims marched in a Vande Mataram procession in Barisal (now in Bangladesh)
An English daily titled Bande Mataram was launched in August 1906 with Bipin Chandra Pal as editor and Sri Aurobindo later joining.
Alarmed by its influence, the British administration issued circulars prohibiting the chanting of Vande Mataram in schools and colleges
In November 1905, 200 students in Rangpur were fined for chanting Vande Mataram.
In 1908, police in Karnataka thrashed and arrested people for chanting it on the day of Lokmanya Tilak's deportation.
Impact on Indian Revolutionaries:
In 1907, Madam Bhikaji Cama raised the tricolour flag in Berlin which had the words "Vande Mataram" written on it.
When Madan Lal Dhingra was hanged in England on August 17, 1909, his last words were Bande Mataram.
When Gopal Krishna Gokhale arrived in Cape Town, South Africa, in October 1912 he was welcomed by a grand procession with cries of 'Vande Mataram'
National Status
On January 24, 1950, Dr. Rajendra Prasad addressed the Constituent Assembly regarding the National Anthem.
He stated that Jana Gana Mana would be the National Anthem of India.
He further declared that the song Vande Mataram shall be honoured equally with Jana Gana Mana and shall have equal status with it.
Following this statement, Vande Mataram was adopted as the National Song of independent India.