The Vande Mataram controversy « Ranjan's Small Talk

Thursday, March 18

The Vande Mataram controversy

Its events like this that get my goat everytime. A stupid Islamic cleric says India's national song Vande Mataram is un-Islamic and orders a fatwah excommunicating those who sang it. And no party has the balls to stand up and ask the idiot to back off.

Its election time in India and the so-called 'secular' politicians are scared to take a stand against the incident fearing a muslim backlash. Do they really think that a majority of muslims would rise in support of the misguided mullah? Where are we living: middle age Arabia? Or Talibanised Afghanistan?

There have been a few responses from some muslims and they have said two things:

1. The Agra cleric has no right to issue the fatwah. Only the Darul-uloom, Deoband, (UP) and All India Muslim Personal Law Board have the right.

2. Vande Mataram is a salute to the land and a Muslim only salutes the Allah and none else.

Lets take a close look at the song in question: (courtesy Freeindia)

vande maataraM
sujalaaM suphalaaM malayaja shiitalaaM
sasyashyaamalaaM maataraM ||

shubhrajyotsnaa pulakitayaaminiiM
pullakusumita drumadala shobhiniiM
suhaasiniiM sumadhura bhaashhiNiiM
sukhadaaM varadaaM maataraM ||

It was composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, set to tune by Rabindranath Tagore and translated by Sri Aurobindo as follows:

Mother, I bow to thee!
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
bright with orchard gleams,
Cool with thy winds of delight,
Dark fields waving Mother of might,
Mother free.

Glory of moonlight dreams,
Over thy branches and lordly streams,
Clad in thy blossoming trees,
Mother, giver of ease
Laughing low and sweet!
Mother I kiss thy feet,
Speaker sweet and low!
Mother, to thee I bow.

What is un-Islamic here? What kind of 'hidden' Hindu agenda does it bring forth? Does the country not come before religion, anyways?

Its high time Muslims stood up and got counted. They can't allow some stray morons like this cleric get away with things that demean the concept of Indian nationhood, and encourage those who brand the whole community as un-Indian.

Those who fail to respect the country, its symbols and tradition should be expelled from our shores. Be they muslims or hindus or of any other community.

Posted at 3/18/2004 12:12:36 am by Ranjan


	Sanjay Vyas April 16, 2004 02:01 PM PDT If I am not mistaken, the issue is the word 'BOW' as in Islam prohibits bowing in front of anyone ecept Allah.


	Twilight Fairy March 25, 2004 11:06 AM PST n i thot u sed, u blog once in 3 days!!


	Asterix March 24, 2004 01:17 PM PST Hey! Been on ur blog after quite long :\| ... found your March10th post to be hilarious :-)) Take care!


	Sidharth March 23, 2004 10:51 AM PST People all over the world should stop bursting their arteries for their religion! Their country should always come first. Muslims should stand up and kick this stupid moron for trying to bring a bad name to their community with such outrageous remarks. People like this idiot should be banished for life.In the same way,Hindu fundamentalists like the RSS,VHP in our country should also be punished for some of the things they do in the name of protecting Hinduism.


	Ravages March 22, 2004 08:41 AM PST A stupid viewpoint I guess, but I will still make it, at the expense of being chastised. Maybe the muslim cleric was feeling pretty low the day, and wanted to do something about it. AFter all, there is so much talk of a resurgent Hindutva and a Shining India and the rise of the great Indian Middle class and hindusim. The poor guy would have wanted to say something about Islam and hence those stupid comemnts made brashly. Dunno, just thinking.


	Nikita March 20, 2004 02:07 AM PST First time here! Fully back you, people who care so much about Islam can get the hell out of un-Islamic countries and carry out their radical activities in Arabia or Talibanised Afghanistan!


	Priya March 19, 2004 03:23 PM PST Ranjan -- I think by giving in and expressing your 'outrage' - - - you only add to the cleric's intention -- which is to give more important to an issue that is baseless. It's not just muslim clerics who do it -- the shiv sena do it all the time..and in this run up to the election - the BJP have asked for a ban on "Discovery of India" - - DUMB, DUMB, DUMB- - there is no outrage here..just very DUMB people


	Avlokana March 19, 2004 01:57 PM PST I agree with you. Simply since my schoolgoing days I coudn't think convincingly why Vande maataram isnt our national anthem. I salute Janaganamana though... Cheers...


	Name March 19, 2004 03:40 AM PST live and let live........we have to make a difference individually with this attitude.


	wandy March 18, 2004 08:32 PM PST Fatwa or no fatwa..does it really matter? People, hopefully, are not going to pay too much attention to this issue ~ like all other issues this will die it death in due course. Yes! I agree its stupid ~ but then there have been other such things in the name of religion that have left scars that we are still trying to deal with...


	Ritu March 18, 2004 08:10 PM PST Well...I don't think u are over reacting... Noone wud say u are over reacting if the fatwa bit were to come into force!!!!! I think we are a bunch of hypocrites...esp us hindus... We have just stopped taking pride in ourselves...all in the name of SECULARISM. I strongly endorse ur point of view...and believe that we shud throw them out who cannot respect us...rituals, customs, traditions, songs et al..... Indians first!!!!! Always.....


	Ranjan March 18, 2004 02:16 PM PST D-Brat: Respect your views. But there are limits to diagreements: one of the lines is that of nationhood. If you challenge nationhood or its intrinsic symbols, you are like the Palestinians or the Kashmiri separatists, and then you should be treated likewise, no? And about the movie, remember its just a movie and hence fictional. Imagine Georgie making a statement like that? He will be kicked in the butt... I agree fully with your concerns. But there too, the two broad responses are the ones I posted, and I do not foresee a healthy debate, especially with the spineless cowards that populate our leading opposition party...


	Ranjan March 18, 2004 02:11 PM PST Alka: I agree!! My neck is on the chopper... hahaha! Pallavi: Agree with you on the barking dogs part... but then where does this attitude go when the whole of Bajrang Dal is labelled "killers" just because one criminal Dara Singh happens to be a member? W-Bug: Maybe my 'female' readership is too laidback? kidding!


	W-bug March 18, 2004 01:11 PM PST Delhi brat, no one in their right minds would endorse (or pay any heed) to this silly attention seeking gimmick.


	Delhi Brat March 18, 2004 12:37 PM PST If you will forgive a contrarian view .... here are two anecdotes. 1. Winston Churchill (?) said, " Sir, I disagree from the bottom of my heart with everything you say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it" 2. Michael Douglas' character of President Andrew Shepherd in the movie 'The American President' says, "The symbol of the freedom is the American Flag, which also carries with it the right to burn the flag in protest" Every country gets the leaders (and the followers) it deserves. Let this gentleman say this about the national song - he has a right to do so. The bigger question is - how will people react to this ? Will the concerned authorities within the Muslim clergy endorse this ? Will the average Indian Muslim pay any heed ? Will this issue generate a live, healthy debate ?


	W-bug March 18, 2004 11:01 AM PST Considering that you write so strongly on so many issues, I am quite surprised that your reading audience (mostly women) always reacts tamely and favourably to all that you have to say. I once brought up the issue of the loopholes in Ayn Rand books and ended up having 2 whole posts with plenty of responses debating my point of view!!!! Oh and yes, not to forget the one when I said I lust for Ganguly. Plenty of indignant (male) responses there! No indignant response to this post. I agree with the over all sentiment but you are also overreacting to it.


	Pallavi March 18, 2004 10:05 AM PST I think the song was not meant to be of any religion and well there will always be some to stir up some controversy .. why bother to get stirred up ? Barking dogs will always bark... :):) Best not to react and well ignore it..


	Alka March 18, 2004 09:57 AM PST Ranjan your secular credentials are at stake. You are no longer be considered a secular, what are you writing on your blog? Anything that questions so called minority community is non secular. :-). :-) :-) :-) :-)

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