Vande Mataram row: Congress cites CWC statement of 1937, says PM 'insulted' Tagore
New Delhi (PTI): Stepping up its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Vande Mataram row, the Congress on Sunday claimed that the PM has "insulted" the Congress Working Committee of 1937, which issued a statement on the song, as also Rabindranath Tagore, and said he should fight his political battles on current issues of daily concern.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said that the prime minister insulted the CWC and Tagore is shocking but not surprising "since the RSS had played no role in our Freedom Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi".
The opposition party's attack came after the prime minister had said on Friday that important stanzas of the national song, "Vande Mataram", were dropped in 1937, which sowed the seeds of the partition, and asserted that such a "divisive mindset" is still a challenge for the country.
Modi had made the comments after inaugurating the year-long commemoration of "Vande Mataram" to mark 150 years of the national song. Modi also released a commemorative stamp and coin on the occasion.
In a post on X, Ramesh said, "The Congress Working Committee met in Kolkata October 26-November 1 1937. Those present included Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Rajendra Prasad, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Sarojini Naidu, J.B. Kripalani, Bhulabhai Desai, Jamnalal Bajaj, Narendra Deva, and others."
The Congress Working Committee met in Kolkata Oct 26-Nov 1 1937. Those present included Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Rajendra Prasad, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Sarojini Naidu, J.B. Kripalani, Bhulabhai Desai, Jamnalal Bajaj, Narendra… pic.twitter.com/bJb899UhQz
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) November 9, 2025
The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi Volume 66, page 46, reveals that on October 28, 1937, the CWC issued a statement on Vande Mataram, and this statement had been profoundly influenced by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and his advice, he said on X.
"The Prime Minister has insulted this CWC as also Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. That he should have done so is shocking but not surprising since the RSS had played no role in our Freedom Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi," Ramesh said.
The prime minister should fight his current political battles on current issues that are of daily concern to crores of Indians who worry about their present and future, he said.
"His economic policies have sharpened inequalities. Unemployment has scaled new highs. Investment momentum has been lost. His foreign policy has collapsed. He stands thoroughly exposed. And all he does is abuse and defame India's first Prime Minister (Jawaharlal Nehru)," Ramesh said.
The Congress general secretary shared screenshots of the statement of the CWC on X.
"Gradually the use of the first two stanzas of the (Vande Mataram) song spread to other provinces and a certain national significance began to attach to them. The rest of the song was very seldom used and is even now known by few persons. These two stanzas described in tender language the beauty of the motherland and the abundance of her gifts," the CWC statement of 1937 said.
There was absolutely nothing in them to which objection could be taken from the religious or any other point of view, it said.
"'There is nothing in these stanzas to which any one can take exception. The other stanzas of the song are little known and hardly ever sung. They contain certain allusions and a religious ideology which may not be in keeping with the ideology of other religious groups in India," the statement said.
"Taking all things into consideration therefore the Committee recommend that wherever the Bande Mataram is sung at national gatherings only the first two stanzas should be sung, with perfect freedom to the organisers to sing any other song of an unobjectionable character, in addition to, or in the place of, the Bande Mataram song," the statement had said.
But while there can be no question about the place that Bande Mataram has come to occupy in national life, the same cannot be said as to the other songs, the CWC had said in 1937.
"People have adopted songs of their choice, irrespective of merit. An authentic collection has long been felt as a desideratum. The Committee therefore appoint a sub-committee consisting of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose and Narendra Dev, to examine all current national songs that may be sent to it and those who are so inclined are invited to send their compositions to this sub-committee," it said.
The sub-committee will, out of the songs so received, submit to the Working Committee the collection that it may choose to recognise as being worthy of finding a place in a collection of national songs, the CWC had said.
"Only such songs as are composed in simple Hindustani or can be adapted to it, and have a rousing and inspiring tune will be accepted by the sub-committee for examination. The sub-committee shall consult and take the advice of poet Rabindranath Tagore," it had said.
On Saturday, Ramesh shared screenshots of pages 110-112 from volume 4 of the authoritative biography in Bengali of Tagore titled Rabindra-Jeebanee by Prabhat Kumar Mukhopadhyay, published by Visva-Bharati in 1994.
"The Master Distorian of a PM must render an apology. He has insulted our founding fathers and most of all Tagore himself," Ramesh had said.
The Congress had hit back at Prime Minister Modi on Friday after he had attacked the party over the dropping of stanzas from "Vande Mataram" in 1937, saying Tagore himself had suggested that the first two stanzas of the song be adopted and it was "shameful" of the PM to accuse the Nobel laureate of harbouring a divisive ideology.
The opposition party had also demanded an apology from Modi over his statement.
According to various accounts, a truncated version of "Vande Mataram", keeping only the first two of the six original stanzas, was chosen as the national song in 1937 by the Congress after a panel recommended its adoption.
According to excerpts from the book, screenshots of which were shared by Ramesh on X, "Upon being consulted, Rabindranath Tagore's advice was threefold. While the first two stanzas were entirely acceptable to Rabindranath, he could not sympathise with the sentiments in the latter stanzas."
In a letter to Nehru, Tagore wrote, "To me, the spirit of tenderness and devotion expressed in its first portion, the emphasis it gave to beautiful and beneficent aspects of our motherland made a special appeal, so much so that I found no difficulty in dissociating it from the rest of the poem and from those portions of the book of which it is a part, with all the sentiments of which, brought up as I was in the monotheistic ideals of my father, I could have no sympathy."
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Kerala lynching: CM assures justice, CPI (M) targets RSS-BJP over incident
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The Kerala government on Monday assured stringent action in the mob lynching of a Chattisgarh native mistaken to be a thief, and promised justice to the family, even as the ruling CPI(M) targeted the RSS over the assault, a charge denied by the BJP.
Ramnarayan (31), was allegedly beaten to death on Wednesday after being accused of involvement in theft at Kizhakeattappallam near Walayar in Palakkad district.
With the issue sending shock waves across the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday described the incident as "deeply disturbing".
Assuring justice to his family, who have arrived in the state, Vijayan said such acts tarnish the reputation of a progressive society like Kerala and are completely unacceptable.
State minister M B Rajesh claimed racial slurs were made at the victim and that the attackers were RSS workers. Ruling CPI (M) state secretary M V Govindan also alleged that RSS-BJP workers were behind the crime.
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In a statement issued by the CM's office, Vijayan said strict action would be taken against those responsible for the crime.
A special investigation team of the district police is probing the incident, he said, adding that instructions have been issued to thoroughly examine the details of the case and initiate all necessary legal proceedings.
The government will also review the matter and ensure appropriate compensation to the victim's family, Vijayan added.
He called for collective vigilance to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future.
His remarks came a day after opposition Congress and the victim's family demanded compensation and an investigation under stringent laws, including the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The brother of deceased man told reporters on Sunday that the family would not accept the body until their demands, including compensation of Rs 25 lakh, are met.
Kerala ministers K Rajan and Rajesh strongly condemned the incident and said it was not just a mob lynching case but racial abuse was involved in it.
The ministers said the accused had attacked the deceased man, calling him a "Bangladeshi" and beat him to death.
"The government will ensure a foolproof probe into the incident, and no one involved in the crime will be spared," Revenue Minister Rajan told reporters in Thrissur.
He said an amount not less than Rs 10 lakh would be granted from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) to the deceased man's family and a cabinet meeting would take a decision in this regard.
LSGD Minister Rajesh also said Ramnarayan was branded as a Bangladeshi by the attackers.
While talking to reporters in Palakkad, he alleged that those who brutally assaulted and killed Ramnarayan were RSS workers.
The Chhattisgarh native, who reached Kerala in search of a job, became a victim of the "divisive politics" of Sangh Parivar, Rajesh further alleged.
"Branding a person as Bangladeshi came from racial politics. Ramnarayan was a victim of the racial poison spread by the Sangh Parivar in the country," he charged.
Rajesh also accused a section of the media of hiding the involvement of the RSS in the assault.
Stepping up the attack against the right-wing groups, CPI (M) state secretary M V Govindan alleged that RSS-BJP workers were the ones behind the crime.
"Those involved in the incident were accused in various criminal cases of RSS. All of them were identified. Such cruelties should not be allowed to repeat in the state," he said.
Expressing strong protest, the senior leader further said a society which believes in democratic values and secular principles cannot accept such crimes.
Senior BJP leader Kummanam Rajasekharan strongly rejected the charges against the saffron party and the RSS.
"Actually, why is politics mixed in such crimes. When a heinous crime like mob lynching happens, should it not be treated as an anti-social act," he told reporters here.
Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, V D Satheesan urged the government to take urgent steps to provide financial assistance to the family of Ramnarayan.
Meanwhile, Palakkad Superintendent of Police Ajit Kumar said at present, the case was registered under sections of murder, and after a detailed probe, more would be added.
After verifying the caste certificate of the deceased man, SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act would also be invoked, he told reporters in Palakkad.
A 10-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed under the DSP (district crime branch) to probe the mob lynching incident. The SIT will be under the direction and supervision of the Pakakkad SP, he added.
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When reporters asked about the political background of the accused persons, the officer said it was being verified.
He said that the arrested persons were already facing police cases.
Five people have been arrested so far for allegedly beating Ramnarayan to death on suspicion of theft.
The injured man was rushed to the Palakkad District Government Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
