The debate over Vande Mataram has sparked a fresh exchange between actors Kangana Ranaut and Sharmila Tagore.
Tagore recently said that India should stick to the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram, arguing that some of the later verses refer to Hindu deities and could be difficult for people who believe in one God to recite. She said the first two stanzas were more suitable for people across different religious communities.
Ranaut criticised Tagore’s view, saying she was surprised to see an artist take what she considered a limited approach to the song. In her response, Ranaut urged people to “come out of the Hindu-Muslim mindset” and look at Vande Mataram as a symbol connected to India’s freedom struggle rather than viewing it only through a religious lens.
The controversy comes amid a wider political debate over how Vande Mataram should be sung. The Congress Working Committee has maintained its position of using the first two stanzas at party events, referring to the Congress’s 1937 decision. BJP leaders have criticised this approach, while Congress leaders have defended it as consistent with the historical practice followed by several national leaders.
Written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Vande Mataram became an important symbol of India’s freedom movement. The song’s religious references in its later verses have, however, remained a subject of debate.
The latest exchange between Kangana Ranaut and Sharmila Tagore has once again brought questions of national identity, religious sensitivity and the historical meaning of Vande Mataram into public discussion.