Team News Riveting
Raipur, December 17
Speaking at a special discussion organised in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly to mark 150 years of the national song “Vande Mataram”, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai highlighted its historical, cultural and emotional significance.
He said Vande Mataram embodied a spirit of patriotism whose resonance once shook even the British regime. During the freedom struggle, this clarion call ignited the fire of courage, sacrifice and valour in the hearts of millions of Indians. He added that it was this very call that gave the strength to break the chains of slavery.
Recalling the immortal martyrs of the freedom movement, the Chief Minister said that Martyrs including Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Martyr Rajguru, Martyr Sukhdev, Martyr Khudiram Bose and countless revolutionaries embraced the gallows with a smile while raising the slogan of Vande Mataram for Mother India. Their sacrifices continue to remind every Indian of their duties towards the nation.
Sai said that remembering the glorious legacy of Vande Mataram is a matter of pride for every Indian. The song reminds the nation of the struggle, the pain and the indomitable courage that led India to freedom. He described it as a foundational pillar of India’s national consciousness.
The Chief Minister further said that the identity of any nation is not defined merely by its geographical boundaries marked on a map. A nation’s true identity lies in its civilisation, culture, traditions and values that have been an integral part of its conduct and way of life for centuries. India’s cultural continuity, he said, is unique in the world.
He said that the purpose of holding a special discussion on Vande Mataram in the Assembly was also to ensure that the nation never forgets the mistakes of history that inflicted deep wounds, the pain of which is still felt in society in one form or another. Only by learning from history, he added, can a strong and harmonious India be built.
On the occasion, Sai paid homage to all brave sons of Chhattisgarh who made the spirit of Vande Mataram the mission of their lives and sacrificed everything for Mother India. He said Vande Mataram connects Indians to their heritage, cultural consciousness and a civilization spanning thousands of years. It represents the collective expression of ideals that have been imbibed over generations.
He said that in Indian tradition, the earth is revered as a mother, referred to as the motherland. Vande Mataram is the powerful and sacred expression of this sentiment, teaching respect and a sense of duty towards nature, land and the nation.
Expressing gratitude to the Speaker of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly and all members for organising the special discussion on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the national song Vande Mataram, the Chief Minister said such deliberations play an important role in connecting the younger generation with patriotism, cultural pride and historical consciousness.
