15 August Special | How the arrogance of a British officer made Bankim Chandra pen Vande Mataram

Vande Mataram or Bande Mataram, as it was originally conceived, was a slogan and a song that inspired Indians to seek independence from British colonial rule. There are different opinions about what led Bankim Chandra to compose the Vande Mataram song. According to these researchers, the idea of Vande Mataram came in the aftermath of physical abuse and insult meted out to Bankim Chandra on a cricket field in 1873. VANDE MATARAM IN HISTORY The Vande Mataram song became public 10 years before the birth of the Indian National Congress that led the fight for freedom against British rule in India. In the final stages of the Constituent Assembly meetings on January 24, 1950, President Rajendra Prasad settled the debate with the following observation: "The composition consisting of the words and music known as Jana Gana Mana is the National Anthem of India, subject to such alterations in the words as the Government may authorise as occasion arises; and the song Vande Mataram, which has played a historic part in the struggle for Indian freedom, shall be honoured equally with Jana Gana Mana and shall have equal status with it.