# Vande Mataram 150th anniversary: PM Modi launches year-long events 2026-08-23T04:26:44+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a year-long commemoration of Vande Mataram's 150th anniversary on November 7, 2025. The song, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, has been a subject of a century-old debate over its status as a national song. In December 2025, both Houses of Parliament held special discussions on the song, during which the 1937 Congress decision on its role was scrutinised. The song's journey has seen many turns, from its adoption as a rallying cry in the freedom movement to debates over its compulsory singing in schools. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Vande Mataram's 150th anniversary comes at a time when its place in national life remains contested, especially in non-Hindi-speaking states where the song's Sanskritised Bengali verses were never widely adopted. The 1937 Congress decision, which allowed provincial governments to choose whether to mandate the song, was a compromise that avoided a deeper rift. The current parliamentary scrutiny suggests the government may be moving toward a uniform policy on the song's use in schools and official events. The real test will be how the year-long commemoration handles regional sensitivities, particularly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, where opposition to Hindi imposition has historically included resistance to the song. Watch for any announcement of a compulsory singing directive by Republic Day 2026. ## Coverage - ndtv.com Reports the launch and parliamentary discussion without framing the event as either celebratory or controversial. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Narendra Modi, Parliament, Vande Mataram Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/vande-mataram-150th-anniversary-pm-modi-launches-year-long-events/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/vande-mataram-150th-anniversary-pm-modi-launches-year-long-events/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/