KASARAGOD: Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar said the forces behind Vande Mataram, which he described as a symbol of national consciousness, should be closely studied and understood to deal with them.
He made the remarks while attending the second day of a national seminar marking the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, organised by the Sahitya Akademi in collaboration with Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Parishad and CUK.
Addressing the event, Arlekar said that even two lines of Vande Mataram had united people against colonial rule. He said the song had played a significant role in bringing people together during the freedom struggle and creating a sense of resistance against British rule.
“They had to leave ultimately. There was such a power for Vande Mataram,” he said.
Arlekar questioned the emergence of opposition to the song, noting that there had been no objection to singing its full version until 1937. He said there was a need to understand the origins of such opposition and identify those behind it.
"Yesterday’s incident is not an isolated one. It has got some connections with other entities and other programmes. We need to understand what are they. Right from Delhi to the gully, who are behind this stirring? “Not only we have to find it but act on them,” he said. The work should not stop with two days of seminar and we need to work beyond these four walls. From where these thought are coming and who are culturing this nonsense which should be our task", he said.
Arlekar said the issue was not merely about raising slogans against Vande Mataram but alleged that a “conspiracy” had infiltrated society. “We need to discuss about Vande Matram and elements working against it and dividing the country. Every system is being destroyed, not merely Vande Mataram,” he stated.
He also expressed concern over views questioning the need to sing Vande Mataram, including those he attributed to sections of the judiciary. Referring to an earlier court judgment that said there was no requirement to sing the song, he questioned the origins of such views and where they were leading the country.
Arlekar said a sense of pride in Vande Mataram should be encouraged and that the spread of thoughts against the song, particularly among intellectuals, should be addressed. He urged CUK Vice-Chancellor Siddu P Algur to initiate research on Vande Mataram.