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Vandemataram: The real perspective Dr. Devajit Bandyopadhyay The prime Bengali novelist of the 19th Century, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (1838-1894) wrote several songs catering to the demands of his novels. Following this trend, he wrote ‘Vandemataram’ for his epic patriotic novel ‘Anandamath’, which dealt with events relating to the Sannyasi Vidroh (rebellion by the sannyasis or ascetics) in the backdrop of the Great Bengal Famine of 1770. Sangeet Guru Jadunath Bhattacharya or Jadu Bhatta, as he was popularly known, was the first to set this song to tune. With time, this song gradually emerged as a paean to the motherland. During the freedom struggle against the British, this song became the battlecry of the freedom fighters and emerged as THE song of national conscience. Since then, Vandemataram has been omnipresent in the socio-cultural-patriotic-political scene, resonant in its individuality, its more than one hundred and fifty tunes notwithstanding. It has found its place on the theatre and Jatra stage, in films and also on the podium of incisive debates across the country. But one thing has been static—its national acceptance. It would not be out of context to mention here that Vandemataram was also inscribed in the first national flag, created in pre-independent India by Sister Nivedita. Bankim Chandra was the first to stoke the national conscience. In his own words: The image is simply the visible and accessible medium through which I choose to send my homage to the throne of the Invisible and the Inaccessible. [‘To the Editor’, The Statesman, 28 October, 1882, Bankim Rachanabali (Vol. III), Jogesh Chandra Bagal (ed.)] In 1287 Chaitra edition (April, 1881), the seventh year of the publication of Bangadarshan Patrika, the song Vandemataram was first published as a part of the serialized publication of the novel ‘Anandamath’. The last portion was published in Jaistha edition of 1289 (May, 1882). At that time, though Bankim Chandra was the lifeline of Bangadarshan, the editor was his elder brother Sanjeeb Chandra. ‘Anandamath’ was first published and released as a book on 15 December, 1882. Bankim had written to his friend Nabin Chandra: I have, however got through…a novel—so to call it… Nabin Chandra described the circumstances: I wrote to him asking him about the topic of his new novel and as always I wrote to him this time too, asking him to get rid of his love for English and focus more on patriotism, love for parents and siblings—which has been described in the Ramayana and Mahabharata and is our national trait. In response he wrote that he had heeded to my request…that was Anandamath. [Amar Jibon (Part 3), Nabin Chandra Sen, Nabin Chandra Rachanabali, Shanti Kumar Dasgupta (ed.)] The vast expanse of Bankim Chandra’s ‘Anandamath’ in the backdrop of an essentially Bengali rebellion, was acknowledged by the Marquis of Zetland, Ronaldshay, in his ‘The Heart of Aryavarta’ (1925): So closely, indeed, did the revolutionary parties in Bengal follow the ideas contained in this romantic story, that one could ask for no better introduction to an understanding of the movement than is provided by the novel itself…the secret societies modelled themselves closely upon the society of children of Ananda Math. [The Heart of Aryavarta, Ronaldshay, Marquis of Zetland] Much before the novel ‘Anandamath’ was ever published either in its serialised or complete form, ‘Vandemataram’ had been written. Bankim Chandra never mentioned the exact date of its composition. But the very lines of the song suggest its period of composition, where he mentions ‘Sapta Koti Santan’ (Seven Crore Children): …Sapta Koti kantha kala kala ninad Dwi Sapta Koti bhujai dhrita khara-karabaley… [সপ্তকোটি কন্ঠ-কলকলনিনাদ করালে দ্বিসপ্তকোটি ভূজৈধৃতখর-করবালে] In the census of 1871, the total population of the administrative division called Bengal Presidency was 6,68,58,656. In October 1874 (Kartick, 1281), Bankim writes in Banga Darshan in ‘Durgotsav’: Esho ma, grihey esho—janhar chhoy koti sontan (six crore children)—tanhar bhabna ki? (এসো মা, গৃহে এসো—যাঁহার ছয় কোটি সন্তান—তাঁহার ভাবনা কি?) A little before October, 1874, Sylhet-Kachhar-Goalpara were separated from Bengal Presidency. So, Bankim estimates the population to be reduced to ‘Chhoy Koti’ (ছয় কোটি), [Source: The Emergence of Indian Nationalism, Anil Seal]. He was very well aware of the administrative aspects as he was a Deputy Magistrate at that time. This fact undoubtedly proves that the time frame of Vandemataram being written was within the first half of 1874. At that time Bankim himself was the editor of Bangadarshan. The proof-reader then was Pandit Ramchandra Bandyopadhyay, from Kanthalpara, Naihati, Bankim Chandra’s birthplace and his ancestral home. Bankim’s younger brother Purna Chandra narrates the circumstances of a remarkable incident involving Vandemataram: Whenever there was a shortage of matter to be printed in Bangadarshan, Pandit Mashai (Ramchandra) used to come and inform Bankim (the Editor). He used to write it on that very day itself. Those were small articles, some of which had been published in ‘Lok Rahasya’, but the majority have not been published. A few days after the song Vandemataram had been written, Pandit Mashai came and informed that there was a shortage of matter for nearly one page. The Editor Bankim Chandra said, “Very well, you will get it today.” A paper with something written on it was lying on the table in front and Pandit Mashai had noticed it, most probably read it too. On that page was written the song Vandemataram. Pandit Mashai said, “Work will have to be stopped if the writing is delayed, that song which is written there—that is not too bad—why don’t you give that?” The irritated editor, Bankim Chandra took the paper from the table and shoved it inside a drawer and said, “Whether it is good or bad, you will not comprehend it now. You will understand sometime later—it is possible that I will not be alive then, but you may be.” [Bankim Chandrer Balya Katha, Purna Chandra Chattopadhyay, Bankim Prasanga, Suresh Chandra Samajpati (ed.)] Bankim Chandra had dedicated ‘Anandamath’ to his elderly friend Dinabandhu Mitra. His son Lalit Chandra writes about the same incident: The copy editor of the famous Bangadarshan Srijukta Ramchandra Bandyopadhyay was present then. The chief aim of Bandyopadhyay Mahasay was to fill up the pages of Bangadarshan soon. He had told Bankim Chandra, “Vandematarang won’t be able to satisfy the hunger of Bangadarshan. You better start writing a novel. Bankim Chandra’s answer was, “You won’t be able to realise the importance of this song, if you live for twenty five more years, then you will see, the whole of Bengal will rise to this song.” [It is to be mentioned here that ‘Vandemataram’ was first written as ‘Vandematarang’] Nabin Chandra Sen writes in his memoir: ‘Anandamath’ had been published then. I told him that ‘Vandemataram’ was quite like the La Marseillaise of France. He said, “Is it? You like it so much?” Then I praised it to the skies, only mentioning that the Bengali lines in between had somewhat marred the beauty of the song and it should have been wholly in Sanskrit, since I believed that one day it would become the national song of India and people who were not Bengalis wouldn’t understand it. I also suggested that he change ‘Sapta Koti’ to ‘Tringsha Koti’ to suggest the whole of India. Though he did not wholly agree to it, he kept quiet after some time and became wholly immersed in his thoughts while smoking the hookah. [Amar Jiban (3rd Part), Nabin Chandra Sen, Nabin Chandra Rachanabali, Shanti Kumar Dasgupta (ed.)] Later, Vandemataram did indeed be granted the honour of La Marseillaise in the writings of Hirendranath Dutta: There are some songs in the hymnology of the world, which having caught and captured the imagination of a whole nation, become ‘national’ songs in the true sense of the term. Such songs are divinely inspired—the mind of the poet who writes the song, being merely the harp which is played upon by the breath of the invisible, who becomes the real composer. The French national anthem La Marseillaise is one of such inspired songs. It was composed in 1793 by Rouget de Lisle, a Republican Officer of the time, and was first sung in Paris by volunteers from Marselles (hence called Marseillaise). Bankim Chandra’s ‘Bande Mataram’ is another such inspired song. [Bankim Chandrer Swadeshpreeti, Hirendranath Dutta, Bankim Smriti, Mohitlal Majumder O Srish Chandra Das (ed.)] Bhabananda of the Santan Dal in Anandamath said: We do not know any other mother—Janani Janmobhumishcha Swargadapi Gariyasi. We say that our motherland is our mother; we have no other mother, father, brother, friend—we have no wife, son, home, we only have our verdant green motherland, with flowing river and fields of crops swaying in the gentle breeze—Sujala Sufala Malayaja Shitala, Shashya Shyamala— Bhabananda began to sing: Bandematarang Sujalang Sufalang Malayaja Shitalang, Shashya Shyamalang, Matarang… That was in ‘Anandamath’ and India woke up to a song…the song which has become the clarion call for generations of patriots and continues to hold a place of national importance in modern India. The only thought is that the vast real perspective should be known and preached to the countrymen in all its genuinity, without proclaiming the exact date and time of its creation, which in fact is not known for sure, but as the fact remains according to the census report, within the first half of 1874. The endeavour of successive regimes to place Vandemataram in their own erroneous context, is a sad situation and quite a rebuff to the great Bengali heritage, as well as that of greater India, and the memory of the genius who created it. [Ref: Bandemataram Rup Rupantar: Devajit Bandyopadhyay; Patrabharati, 2022]