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Vande Mataram Rendered at Red Fort for First Time
Vande Mataram was rendered at the Red Fort for the first time during India’s 80th Independence Day celebrations on August 15. An Army band played the tune as guests sang the national…
The Story in Brief
Vande Mataram was rendered at the Red Fort for the first time during India’s 80th Independence Day celebrations on August 15. An Army band played the tune as guests sang the national song, followed by the national anthem. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the ceremony, hoisted the Tricolour and addressed the nation.
The event marked 150 years of Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1875 and adopted as India’s national song in 1950. Two Indian Air Force Mi-17 helicopters later showered flower petals, with one carrying the national flag and the other a flag depicting Vande Mataram.
The Indian Opinion
The ceremony does not make Vande Mataram the national anthem, as some political messaging may imply. It remains the national song, while the anthem followed its rendition at the Red Fort. Nor should the pageantry replace attention to the song’s complex history and wider public acceptance. The useful test is simple: will official events continue to respect both the national song and anthem without turning either into a loyalty test?
Sources (3): indiatoday.in, indiatoday.in (2), timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
