New Delhi, Dec 8 (NationPress) Prime Minister Narendra Modi drew attention to a shortened version of 'Vande Mataram' during the inauguration on November 7 of a year-long celebration marking the sesquicentennial of the National Song, which sparked considerable political debate without context.

Similar exchanges occurred in Parliament on Monday as the Lok Sabha engaged in discussions about the commemoration.

The Congress Party has faced allegations of orchestrating the omission of important stanzas from 'Vande Mataram' at its 1937 Faizabad session.

The Prime Minister asserted that this choice “sowed the seeds of Partition”.

In contrast, the Congress contends that the decision was made based on a recommendation from the Congress Working Committee at that time.

This committee included notable leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Subhas Chandra Bose, Rajendra Prasad, Abul Kalam Azad, and Sarojini Naidu among others.

The party asserts that this was consistent with the advice of Rabindranath Tagore.

During the Lok Sabha debate on Monday, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stated that the original verse, penned by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay around 1875, contained the lines present in the National Song.

She remarked that Chattopadhyay incorporated the song into his novel Anandamath, published in 1882, where he added further verses.

The story revolves around a group of 'Sanyasis' (Hindu ascetics), who referred to themselves as 'Santan' (children) of their Motherland, dedicating their lives to the cause of their mother.

They revered their homeland as the Mother goddess, directing their devotion solely to their place of origin.

In Anandamath, the Santans perform the song and utilize Vande Mataram as a tribute to the Motherland.

The Sanyasis depicted three images of the Mother, each representing her — one that is grand and glorious, one that is currently shrouded in darkness, and one that will embody her pristine magnificence.

The first stanza of 'Vande Mataram', which may be loosely translated as: “I bow before you Mother whose lands are fertile, with enough food and water, where the wind is cool and delightful, with crops waving in fields.”

Chattopadhyay elucidated the song through the character of a 'Santan' in Anandamath.

The character Bhabananda is depicted as calm and composed like a sanyasi but transforms into a brave and skilled warrior when necessary.

Bhabananda further sings a tribute to the Motherland in all her glory, nourishing life, melodiously declaring “Subhra-jyotsna-pulakita-yaminim; Phullakusumita-drumadalasobhinim; Suhasiniṃ sumadhurabhasinim; Sukhadaṃ varadaṃ Mataram; Vande Mataram.”

At this moment, he is interrupted by Mahendra, the protagonist who was rescued by the Santans from British sepoys, asserting that the song is a tribute to the nation, not solely the mother.

The Sanyasi-warrior articulates, “Janani Janmabhumishcha Swargadapi Gariyasi” (My motherland is greater than Heaven) where they possess no relatives or home but only “Sujalaṃ suphalaṃ; Malayajasitalam; Sasyasyamalam” Mother.

He proceeds to describe an image characterized by knowledge, religion, life, power, and devotion, with idols erected in temples.

As he nears the end, Bhabananda becomes emotional, prompting Mahendra, who initially viewed him as a dacoit, to seek his identity.

“We’re Santan (children),” he replies.

Thus, the portion deemed “controversial” pertains to the representation of powers in one Mother — the land of birth, superseding any other relational or personal interests.

Nevertheless, religion has emerged as a contentious aspect of the song since the protests led by Mohammad Ali Jinnah and the Muslim League in the 1930s, citing references to Hindu deities in the song.

This controversy is believed to have prompted the song's truncation, an issue that persists nearly eight decades post-Independence in a nation declared Secular.