Special Correspondent
Panaji
Joining the state in celebrating 150 years of Vande Mataram, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday described the poem written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in Sanskritised Bengali as an ode to the motherland and the heartbeat of India.
“It is a song that unites people of all religions and symbolises the nation’s strength and spirit,” he said.
Speaking at an event held at Kala Academy to mark the sesquicentenary of India’s national song, Sawant said Vande Mataram continues to inspire patriotism and unity among citizens.
“The song, in the past, inspired countless freedom fighters who even laid down their lives for the country’s independence,” said Sawant, adding that it was a song of resistance against British rule, with every line carrying inspiration. “Even today, when we listen to the song, we get goose bumps,” he said.
The Chief Minister said Vande Mataram remains relevant today as it carries a message of secularism. “People from all faiths have been singing this song,” he said, appealing to the youth to draw inspiration from it and contribute to the nation’s development.
Sawant, along with government officials and students, later sang Vande Mataram, while the Goa Police Brass Band played the song on the occasion.
Special celebrations were held across Goa to mark the milestone, under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The song, first published in 1882 as part of Chatterjee’s Bengali novel Anandmath, was sung in unison across the state, including in schools, as part of a nationwide initiative honouring its cultural and historical
significance.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy and Power Shripad Naik and State BJP president Damodar Naik participated in a similar event at the BJP headquarters in Panaji.
