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The cacophony over Vande Mataram has reached sickening levels & its time to dwell on intellectual dishonesty of politicians, ignorance of masses & shrewdness of BJP.
If anybody has an iota of nationalism and respect towards our martyrs, this novel needs to be condemned in the harshest words. When thousands of Hindus and Muslims, as one Race & One People, sacrificed their lives in 1857, this novel appeared–full of falsehoods, praising British & termng Hindus & Muslims as enemies.
Read this Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (Chattopadhyaya) novel in original or its translation. Even the two stanzas that ‘are not be objectionable’ demand the blood of Muslims. In the novel…when Satyanand is crying that all Muslims could not be put to sword, his Guru welcomes British rule. Bowing before Goddess Kali, Satyananda says, ‘Shatru ke khoon se seeNch kar maaN ko shasya-shyaamla karuNga’. No need to explain, it demands blood of Muslims & that’s what we are asked to sing. This treacherous novel makes mockery of the unity & beliefs of our freedom fighters from Mangal Pandey & Bakht Khan to Ashfaq, Bismil & Azad.
Adnan
(www.indscribe.blogspot.com)
{ 16 comments }
Would you similarly, in the harshest of words, condemn books that advocate the “smiting of necks of unbelievers” or the “killing of unbelievers wherever you find them” or says that “unbelievers are unclean” etc.? I am sure you know where these verses are. If these verses are to be read in context and not out of context, the same must be said of lesser books like Anand Math, which is after all a piece of fiction by a human being, who was a product of his times, and further does not enjoy any official status.
BTW, the song was written 6 years before the book. The reason the first two stanzas of the song were recommended to be the national song (by a committee that included Maulana Azad) was that it was associated with and used by freedom fighters like Bismil and Chandrashekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh and Ashfaqullah Khan, not because of its incidental association with Anand Math.
As the Congress committee and later the constituent assembly stated, the national song has an exalted place due to its association with the freedom struggle and with revolutionaries of all religions, including Muslims. It was independent of its association with Anand Math. And further, while the song enjoyed a high status, there was to be no compulsion. That is the best compromise solution to the issue. The attempt by current politicians of some kind to make it compulsory should be condemned without reservation.
On the one hand, we have politicians trying to make an issue out of a non-issue for petty political considerations. On the other, we have people who take the song out of context (and further, take texts out of the book to find fault in the two-stanza national song – an exercise in dishonesty) and try to make an issue where there isn’t one. Both are condemnable.
Let me also clarify that I am totally opposed to the use of compulsion in singing the song. I would even be comfortable in replacing this national song with another one that is completely non-controversial (though I think our polity is not mature enough to handle it currently and hence it may be best to let this matter rest). However, I will not keep quiet when falsehoods are used to make even a legitimate point. I oppose the use of dishonest means even for achieving a noble end. Hence, my previous post.
My argument is not about the forcing of Vande Mataram – I am opposing the games being played by politicians in whichever way I can and will continue to do so. I am also a bitter opponent of any tests of nationalism – it is simply incompatible wtih the basic principles of human rights. Yet, it is completely dishonest to claim that “Vande Mataram demands Muslim bloodshed”. I will therefore oppose it without reservation.
Girish, I am sure you have read the novel. The hymn was written earlier and later incorported in the novel…hmmm… We won’t know whether Bankim was already writing the novel and had it in mind to incorporate it in novel but Chattopadhyays’ book is full of hate towards Muslims.
And the hymn is the core of the novel. People must know the controversial history of the song and the book also when the politicians are allowed to make irresponsible statements about ‘those Muslims not singing Vande Matram to be sent to Pakistan’. The link is too obvious.
The debates on television shows, the articles on edit pages hardly reflect reasons of Muslim opposition or the controversy over the song. On one hand we have venomous statements of VHP leaders like that of Ashok Singhal on Thursday while there is not even a reference to the other side of the picture.
The Congress and surprisingly the Communists too appear indifferent when Muslims are subjected to this test of patriotism. The VHP has asked the Muslims to learn from Gujarat and come to senses. Orders of public rendition have been issued to Madarsas. And Saraswati Vandana will surely follow. We are all sick of tested for our patriotism and love for this country.
You surely know when you talk about verses and their context. You are aware about things in context of good and bad like in Hindu mythology where you have Hiranyakashipu, Kans and others put to sword. But here in our country Muslims have been termed the same demon. And the same man who wrote the song and the novel, even if earlier than the book but incorporated it, that led to fanning of communalism in Bengal, depicts ALL muslims (not just the nawab or few characters if it is a fiction) as fit for butchering. And the tremendous respect for British courage in this novel amazes me.
Discussion and debate shouldn’t end but just one side of picture is being presented. Also, many Muslims in this country are still ready to sing it and stand by it. You must have seen pictures and news of Muslims reciting it publicly. But the song is not too great either to be a barometer for the patriotism of Indian Muslims. That’s all.
Adnan:
I am with you that Anand Math has anti-Muslim content. I however do not think the title of your post is accurate since there is nothing in Vande Mataram itself that can be termed as anti-Muslim. Not even in the full version of the song, and certainly not in the first two stanzas. Remember that Maulana Azad was part of the committee that chose it as the national song. Nobody can accuse him of being communal. The song was not chosen because of its presence in Anand Math, but because of its evolution in the early 20th century as a secular anti-British slogan, whatever its previous history may have been. It is not that the song is great. Its association with the book certainly makes it controversial. However, it is still a symbol of the revolutionaries who fought for freedom – whether Bhagat Singh (an atheist) or Ashfaqullah Khan or Ram Prasad Bismil.
Provocative posts like yours are necessary in order to stir the conscience of the readers. However, there is a fine line between provocative content and sensationalism (particularly the kind which is not even based on accuracy). I would request you to resist the temptation for the latter, since it only undermines your own credibility. I recognize that you are writing on this blog with good intentions. I am commenting, as a friend, to ensure that in doing so, you do not sacrifice accuracy.
I have made my overall views on the song and on the controversy clear both in the two responses here and in response to Mohib’s post earlier. So I will not repeat that.
Agree to a lot you said.
Adnan
We need to decide what’s the key debate: Being “forced” to sing something or “criticism” of the author for penning what he did. Texts associated with most religions and the followers of these are often replete with accounts of the wrongs of non-believers. If we choose to identify these, I believe a lifetime wouldn’t suffice. Why Bankim Chandra wrote what he did is immaterial. Whether he was justified in it or not is also immaterial in todays’s context. Getting the book under scrutiny today is merely going back in time. Why not simply talk about the issue at hand which largely is opposing the anti-democratic funda of being forced to do something that one may not want to do. And regarding that all of us “here” AGREE
i would like to know the page no. in the book where anti muslim sentiments are penned.
First of all We need more of scientists and people who can develop our infrastructure rather than singers who are now in dozens with Indian Idol and other shows running on every TV channel.
I have not read this novel and I had not even heard about it. Personally I love my country very much and I dont know the song. However, I am also against criticising anyone just because of one paragraph . I don’t know why Adnan you need to put in something sensational and then have to get everyone excited. The very title Anand Math exposed. I am sure this book must be open on shelfs and not hidden somewhere waiting to be exposed. Girish you also immediately react. Soon everyone is reacting over nothing.
First of all demeaning anything is wrong. Quran was not written in lifetime of Prophet or by the Prophet and therefore lots of things apart from teachings of the prophet were put in by their followers who used to love the prophet and probably had seen the harsh treatment of the new religious people by the then Arab tribes. They wanted that the teachings should spread and if needed force used. When I read Quran I found many good teachings. I also know the verses which you came across and I myself was very puzzled in the beginning. However if we see the social status around at that time you will see why Hijrah happened or why these things got put in. However, I feel that if the prophet was there he would have been highly disillusioned with his followers.
Now coming to Anand Math. I don’t think that when the song was written and when it was included in the book it meant the same. This book was written at a time after the Indian revolution of 1857 when British were trying to divide Hindus and Muslims to create a strength for themselves in India. As Adnan even said please ”Don’t even explain” so he has allready endorsed his views and he says that he won’t change and never sing this song.
When everyone knows that BJP needs issues for votes then why do we provide this. I feel that people who want to force singing vande matram and those who dont want to both need to be treated.
There is a huge widening economic gap in the country, our infrastructure is in shambles, there is huge illiteracy, there are terrorist dangers, suspicion and hate is rising, inethical journalism and we have to argue why a song can not be sung. God have mercy on us and this country. Any illiterate can also understand that why we can never progress.
Regards,
Manoj George
Manoj:
As much as I respect your good intentions, I still have to say this: you have no idea what you are talking about here. This is the most fantastical comment I have heard about Quran yet.
Hi Mohib,
Yes I might not be accurate and will like to know more. My comments were more based upon reading of some books and study on net . And one of the comments which significantly lead to my views was:-
During the life of Muhammad the Qur’an, though written, was scattered amongst his companions, much of it as private possession. After Muhammad’s death, Abu Bakr initially exercised a policy of laissez faire . This policy was reversed after the Battle of Yamama in 633 AD. During the battle, 700 Muslims who had memorized the Qur’an were killed. The death of SÄ?lim, however, was most significant, as he was one of the very few who had been entrusted by Muhammad to teach the Qur’an. Consequently, upon Umar’s insistence, Abu Bakr ordered the collection of the hitherto scattered pieces of the Qur’an into one copy.Zaid ibn Thabit, Muhammad’s primary scribe, was assigned the duty of collecting all of the Quranic text. This compilation was kept by Umar, who on his deathbed gave them to Hafsa bint Umar, his daughter and one of Muhammad’s widows
I am a seeker and will want to know more if the above differs.
Regards,
Manoj George
Manoj:
Quran was complete during the time of Prophet and it is the fundamental belief of ALL Muslims that Quran is the word of Allah. So, to imply that somehow the later compilers added something to it is sacreligious to Muslims.
I am not sure how your last comment can lead you to conclude what you did in the previous comment. Anyways, we were discussing Anand Math here.
Mohib,
Point taken. If you see the very first comment in the article you will see why I gave my view on the subject. I accept your views if they are accurate allthough debatable.
Also my point is very clear. There should be no compulsion in singing the song. Our national anthem was adapted from Taran-e-Hind from Iqbal. The same Iqbal who wanted to build a strong India and in his initial years had no compulsion in equating India with Hindustani. However the same Iqbal who had composed the Tarana-E-Hind went ahead to propound and endore the 2 nation theory after his tours to western europe and Middle east where he became highly critical of the west’s seperation of religion from the state. The national Anthem was still accepted because when it was composed it meant for India.
I have not read the Novel, however my initial research on the book lead me to what is called the sanyasi rebellion which had happened much earlier that the war of independance. The book was written in this context where both hindu sanyasis and Muslim Fakirs had revolted against British India company.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sannyasi_Rebellion
I personally will like to know whether the book was read completely and interpreted right before any controversy. As far as I know the initial controversy with the song was that there is a stanza related to Goddess Durga because of which Muslims have always opposed this song.
And finally I find this controversy completely irrelevant. I have always sung the national anthem through my school days. Are these schools or institutions run by Vidya mandir chain etc where this controersy has arisen? If yes then a thought should be given before any controversy.
Regards,
Manoj George
A quick correction.
The Taran e Hind is not taken as national song but it is still sung very fervently by one and all in India and is not known in Pakistan.
Saare Jahan se Acha, Hindostan hamara.
The Taran-e-Hind later became the Taran-e-Milli which also signifies the change in Iqbal’s outlook.
Chin Arab Hamara Hindostan Hamara, Muslim Hain Ham, Saara Jahan Hamara.
Regards,
Manoj George
”We are all sick of tested for our patriotism and love for this country.”
Adnan, the biggest test for patriotism has been for Kashmiri Hindus who have been refugees in their own country and now scattered worldwide. Denied justice by their own Indian brothers,
I really have sympathy for people who have nothing else but all wrong reasons against BJP. Kashmiri hindus never favoured the right wing but why were they killed and driven out, their homes burnt or captured? The terrorists openly asked hindus to step aside from muslims in buses and then shot at discriminately. Thousands of Kashmiri pandits were either killed or driven in midnight out from the valley. Their only sin of that being Hindu.
And Adnan you feel that being asked to sing a song tests your patriotism.
Mahesh
Guys
I am really shocked.In fact I perfectly agree with what Girish said in his Opening Comment.”Would you similarly, in the harshest of words, condemn books that advocate the “smiting of necks of unbelieversâ€? or the “killing of unbelievers wherever you find themâ€? or says that “unbelievers are uncleanâ€? etc.? I am sure you know where these verses are. If these verses are to be read in context and not out of context, the same must be said of lesser books like Anand Math, which is after all a piece of fiction by a human being, who was a product of his times, and further does not enjoy any official status.”
So why cant you guys stop raising trivialissues and insist on not singing a song that thousands of Freedom Fighters sang.If they had started such a discussion they would have ended their lives discussing this and not in the freedom struggle.Lets have posts which will really uplift the Muslim Community and not sensationalise the issue.
I have read the novel and at no point did I see any Anti-Muslim content in it. It’s the Britishers who are the enemies in the story. Your POV seems so skewed, it’s actually quite tragic.
As for singing Vande Matarm, I agree that it has been used unfairly during Hindu-Muslim Riots in the past. But the poem is about worshiping one’s motherland and I don’t see anything wrong in singing it. That said, I cannot be forced to sing it if i don’t want to.
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