A fresh rift appears to be brewing between the Congress and its ally, the National Conference (NC), over Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's recitation of the full version of Vande Mataram, prompting the Congress to question the move, remind him of the 'syncretic and pluralist ethos', and urge the ally to honour freedom fighters.
His remarks came after Omar Abdullah and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah stood through the full rendition of Vande Mataram at the inaugural International Film Festival in Srinagar. The Abdullahs stood through all six stanzas of the song, highlighting differences within the INDIA bloc over the issue.
'Honour wisdom of freedom fighters': KC Venugopal
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Tuesday said the full version of Vande Mataram was at odds with the 'syncretic and pluralist ethos' envisioned by India's freedom fighters, urging the party's allies to respect the version of the national song adopted in 1937.
"The full version of Vande Mataram sits uneasily with the syncretic and pluralist ethos that our freedom fighters envisioned and nurtured for India," Venugopal said in a post on X.
Venugopal said the Congress continued to uphold the considered judgment of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Subhas Chandra Bose, Rajendra Prasad, Acharya Narendra Dev, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Sarojini Naidu and JB Kripalani, which he said was shaped in part by the counsel of Rabindranath Tagore.
"For us, the considered judgment of Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru, Sardar Patel, Subhash Chandra Bose, Rajendra Prasad, Acharya Narendra Dev, Maulana Azad, Sarojini Naidu and J.B. Kripalani — shaped in no small part by the counsel of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore — remains paramount," Venugopal's said in a post.
He urged Congress allies to 'honour the wisdom and judgment of our freedom fighters' and join the party in singing only the version of the song adopted by them. "With respect and humility, we would like our allies to honour the wisdom and judgment of our freedom fighters, and stand with us in singing only the version of this beautiful and historic song that they adopted," he added.
Venugopal said the Congress had deliberately chosen that version to prevent Vande Mataram from being 'communalised', adding that the concern remained relevant even today. "Upholding it is how we uphold the secular, inclusive character of our Republic," he added.
Are allies with Congress?
The Congress appears to be standing alone on the issue of 'Vande Mataram'. Several parties within the opposition alliance do not fully agree with the Congress' stance. Let us look at the positions held by the various parties on this matter:
- The Congress states that it will sing only two stanzas.
- National Conference leader is in favor of singing the entire song.
- The TMC has opposed making the full stanzas mandatory but has not expressed strong opposition to the song itself, unlike the Congress.
- The Samajwadi Party has not opposed the full song at the national level.
- Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) has not supported the Congress.
- The RJD's party line is not yet entirely clear.
- Sharad Pawar's NCP-SP, too, has not expressed opposition to 'Vande Mataram' in the way the Congress has.
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