‘Vande Mataram’ Debate: During the Parliament’s Winter Session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the ‘Vande Mataram’ discussion in the Lok Sabha on Monday, and described the national song as a “powerful mantra” and a slogan that energised and “inspired India’s freedom movement.” During his address, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saugata Roy objected to the PM referring to Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, the composer of Vande Mataram, as “Da.”
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The TMC leader stated that PM should refer to the legendary composer as “Babu” instead of “Da”.
“You are saying ‘Bankim Da’? You should say ‘Bankim Babu’,” Roy said.
To this, PM Modi replied that he will now refer to Bankim Chandra Chatterjee as “Bankim Babu”.
“I will say ‘Bankim Babu’. Thank you, I respect your sentiments,” the PM responded.
“I can call you dada, right?” he added in a lighter tone.
“Da” is a short form of “Dada,” meaning brother. It is commonly used to address friends and acquaintances. In contrast, “Babu” is more honorific and used in formal contexts.
PM Modi’s Lok Sabha Address Today
Asserting that ‘Vande Mataram’ was not just a mantra for political independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that it is a modern avatar of our great cultural legacy on the occasion of Vande Mataram completing 150 years.
Addressing the Lok Sabha, PM Modi stated, “Vande Mataram was not just a mantra for political independence. It was not limited to our independence; it was way beyond that. The freedom movement was a war to free our motherland from the clutches of slavery… During our Vedas, it was said, This land is my mother, and I am the son of the soil. This same idea was conveyed by Shri Ram when he gave up Lanka, Vande Mataram is a modern avatar of our great cultural legacy.”
The Prime Minister recalled the British divide-and-rule politics and said that they divided Bengal in 1905, but “Vande Mataram stood like a rock” at that time.
‘Vande Mataram’ Discussion In Lok Sabha
The BJP-led NDA government has been allotted three hours for its participation in the Lok Sabha debate, while a total of 10 hours has been earmarked for the entire discussion, as the debate will also take place in the upper house, the Rajya Sabha, on Tuesday, December 9.
The 6th Session of the 18th Lok Sabha and the 269th Session of the Rajya Sabha commenced on Monday, December 1, marking the beginning of the Winter Session of Parliament. The session will conclude on December 19.
(with ANI inputs)
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