TNI Bureau: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday opened a special day-long discussion in the Lok Sabha to mark 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’, calling the song the “mantra of the freedom movement” and the emotional strength of India’s fight against British rule.

Entering the House to chants of ‘Vande Mataram’, the Prime Minister said the occasion was a moment of “great pride” for Parliament and the nation. He said the government had chosen a path of collective reflection to honour the iconic composition.

PM Modi described ‘Vande Mataram’ as a force that awakened India during colonial rule. He said it “infused energy, inspired the nation and showed the path of sacrifice,” touching revolutionaries, students, women and common people alike. He added that the song echoed the Vedic belief that the land is the mother and every citizen is her child.

The Prime Minister noted that after the 1857 revolt, the British decided to divide Indians to maintain control and used Bengal as their “laboratory.” He said Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s ‘Vande Mataram’ emerged in this period as a counter to British pressure.

Referring to the 1905 partition of Bengal, Modi said the British hoped the division would break national unity, but instead ‘Vande Mataram’ united people across Bengal and the country. He recalled stories of students and women who faced punishment for chanting it.

Modi also reminded the House that the song’s 100-year milestone fell during the Emergency, when civil liberties were suppressed, yet ‘Vande Mataram’ continued to symbolise resistance.

The Prime Minister said today’s generation sits in Parliament because “lakhs chanted ‘Vande Mataram’ and fought for Independence.” He urged members to honour the historic legacy of the song, calling it a timeless symbol of India’s unity, strength and cultural pride.