Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday, 21 August said that for a long time after India's Independence and the country's Partition, Vande Mataram was not accepted wholeheartedly by some sections, marking a pointed observation during his address to Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) officers and staff in Siliguri, Darjeeling district, West Bengal.

Shah's Remarks on Vande Mataram

'It was sung in Parliament. Everyone used to stand up. But many people like me were saddened that even after Independence and the Partition, the entire Vande Mataram was not sung,' Shah said, speaking candidly about what he described as an unresolved emotional gap in post-Independence India.

He noted that this changed at the 80th Independence Day ceremony this year. 'Since 2015, whenever Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hoisted the national flag at the Red Fort, I used to be present there. But this year's 80th Independence Day ceremony was very different. This was the first time that the entire Vande Mataram was sung,' he said.

Shah paid tribute to the song's author, describing it as 'a unique creation of Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay,' adding that the composition 'not only gave momentum to the freedom movement, but also gave it a vision of what an independent India should be like.'

Border Fencing and Political Barbs at Mamata Banerjee

Addressing the SSB gathering, Shah also praised West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who shared the dais, for accelerating long-pending land allotment for border fencing. 'Since he has taken charge, the state government has allotted 1,129 acres of land for border fencing,' Shah said.

He contrasted this with what he described as repeated stonewalling by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. 'I personally pleaded to the previous Chief Minister so many times for land allotment. But she ignored that plea. I used to invite her to attend Central government programmes in West Bengal. But she never attended,' Shah said. He added that Banerjee 'did not understand that we were seeking the land for border security to ensure the safety and security of the country — not for the BJP.'

Tribute to Ustad Bismillah Khan

Shah also used the occasion to pay tribute to the late shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan on his death anniversary, sharing a quote that he said illustrated the musician's spiritual depth. 'When he was asked where he got the most joy from playing the shehnai, he replied, "There is no greater joy for me than playing the shehnai on the banks of the Ganga in the morning, in the presence of Kashi Vishwanath,"' Shah recounted.

Context and Significance

The remarks come amid a broader political narrative around national symbols and border security in West Bengal, a state that borders both Bangladesh and Bhutan and where the Centre and state government have frequently clashed over federal programmes. Notably, the SSB is the designated border-guarding force for India's borders with Nepal and Bhutan, and land acquisition for fencing has been a long-standing operational challenge. Shah's remarks signal that the Centre views the 1,129 acres already allotted as a tangible shift under the current state leadership, though the overall fencing project's timeline and total land requirement were not specified at the event.