vande mātaram
sujalāṃ suphalāṃ malayajaśītalām
śasya śyāmalāṃ mātaram
śubhra jyotsnā pulakita yāminīm
phulla kusumita drumadalaśobhinīm
suhāsinīṃ sumadhura bhāṣiṇīm
sukhadāṃ varadāṃ mātaram
English Translation:
My obeisance to Mother India!
With flowing beneficial waters
Filled with choicest fruits
With cooling breeze
Green with the harvest
O mother! My obeisance to you!
Ecstatic moonlit nights
The plants blooming with flowers
Sweet speaker of sweet languages
Fount of blessings,
Mother, I salute you!
Now let me get some points cleared here:
# This is the part of “Vande Mataram” which is accepted as the national song of India. Now would somebody please tell me, how could this be offensive to anyone? Seriously, I want to know. To me it seems to be a prayer in praise of your motherland. Now how could that be against any religion? I understand if you say that your religion allows you to worship to God only. But religion does not stop you from giving respect to your parents or your motherland. Or does it?
# Somebody comes out with a fatwa against the “National Song” of our country. Is this not going against the constitution? If it is possible, can somebody come out with a religious decree against Ashok Chakra tomorrow, saying it is against their religion?
# When courts have ruled that nobody can be forced to sing this song, what was the logic & need behind coming up with a fatwa against it?
# Though I am not in any position to question the judgment of courts of India, though when they say that one may or may not sing “Vande Mataram”, is it also implied that it is also a personal choice whether to stand up to pay respect to national anthem? Then why did we raise hullabaloo when a similar (not same) thing happened in Infosys a few years back?
# This fatwa was reportedly supported in the presence of our “Honorable Home Minister”. Even if it wasn’t & if all my above concerns are valid, why hasn’t the GOI reacted to it till now? Or are they waiting for some other extremist group to react and then they would rise from their slumber?
No, I’m not just babbling incoherently, I would really appreciate if somebody could answer these questions for me.
