Jamshedpur: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Jamshedpur Mahanagar has announced plans to celebrate the 150th anniversary of ‘Vande Mataram’ as a grand National Festival. The announcement was made during a press conference held at the district BJP office in Sakchi on Friday.
BJP Mahanagar President Sudhanshu Ojha said that the celebration aims to honor the historic legacy of ‘Vande Mataram’ in India’s freedom struggle and to rekindle patriotic fervor among the youth. A series of cultural and educational events have been planned to mark the occasion.
Ojha revealed that on November 15, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, floral tributes will be offered to his life-sized statue. This will be followed by the collective singing of the full ‘Vande Mataram’ by over 150 citizens and senior BJP leaders.
Recalling its history, Ojha stated that ‘Vande Mataram’ was composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1875, and was first sung by Rabindranath Tagore in 1896. In 1950, Dr. Rajendra Prasad officially recognized it as the National Song of India. Ojha emphasized that the song was a powerful symbol of resistance during India’s independence movement and evoked both courage among Indians and fear among British rulers.
Taking a political swipe, Ojha criticized the Congress, alleging that the party has often displayed “intolerance” toward ‘Vande Mataram’, while asserting that the BJP regards it as a true emblem of national identity and pride.
As part of the ‘Vande Mataram @150’ initiative, the BJP Jamshedpur unit will organize exhibitions, seminars, and competitions including essay writing, painting, and poetry contests in schools to engage students in the celebration.
The press conference was also attended by District General Secretary Anil Modi, District Vice President and Program Convener Babua Singh, District Media In-charge Prem Jha, along with Ujjwal Singh and Kishore Ojha.
