When I was very small, I started hearing this song, 'Vande Mataram', in our old Murphy radio in my grandma's place. Later on, we had this song in our morning prayer in our Udupi (Karnataka) School - our flag was hoisted everyday and we sang 'Jana Gana Mana' in the evening after school. After coming to Chennai, we sang this song only on Independence Day and Republic Day. Till some years back, this song was played in theatres after the movie ended and I am happy that it is not done now, because most of the people were leaving the theatre as soon as they sensed that the movie was over, without standing up and waiting till the song ended, which is a blatant insult to our national anthem and our country.
Here, is my favourite song:
Our generations' patriotism came out when Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri became Prime Minister of our country (1964-66) and he is one of the best Prime Minister we had and most of us became familiar with him when we did not have TV or reading newspaper was not a day-to-day habit for children, in those days. During the war with Pakistan, Shastriji asked us to skip one meal a day at least once a week and our whole school children skipped Monday night dinner. It was unanimous. We started reciting our 'National Pledge' in our school prayer which ended with the slogan created by Shastriji, 'Jai Jawaan, Jai Kisaan' (I must have been in 6th or 7th std.). My children are not familiar with our 'National Pledge', which I feel is not right. At the current situation in our country, even including these lines in our school prayers might create a big hungama, like 'Vande mataram' has created. People who are born here should not hesitate to sing in praise of our nation, irrespective of any religion, I feel. Religion and language should not be a barrier to the progress and peace of our or any nation. Will someone take the initiative to insist on including our 'National Predge' in our school prayers?
India is my country and all Indians are my brothers and sisters.
I love my country and I am proud of its rich and varied heritage.
I shall always strive to be worthy of it.
I shall give my parents, teachers and all elders, respect, and treat everyone with courtesy.
To my country and my people, I pledge my devotion.
In their well being and prosperity alone, lies my happiness.
It is high time some action is taken to curb the dirty acts started by some mad people to split our country for flimsy reason like 'local languages' now. War of religions was there for ages, but creating havoc because of languages, is new. Whoever wants to survive in their places of work, can learn the local language and blend with the community. It will be for their own good. It is up to the individuals and the political people need not poke their dirty noses into it.
Let us live happily together and help our next generation also to live peacefully in the future. This song says so:
Aditya Arya Archive:
This link contains unusual photographs of our struggle for Independence period, taken by the then press photographer Kulwant Roy. Born in Ludhiana, Punjab in 1914, he started his photographic career in his twenties. One of his earliest landmark works was documenting the meeting between Mahatma Gandhi and Khan Adbul Ghafar Khan in the North West Frontier Province in 1938. He then joined the Royal Indian Air Force in 1941, where he used his newly acquired skills to take aerial shots from the cockpits of planes. Headstrong and patriotic, Roy found it difficult to tolerate the discriminatory policies of his British superiors and had to leave the air force after being court-martialled.
His photographs of pilgrimages, religious events, ethnic costumes and the snow capped mountains of Kashmir eventually found their way in scores of picture stories in different languages of the world. He also took photographs in the twenty countries he visited and all these images funded this early global traveller. Rare photographs of Gandhiji, Nehru and his family can be seen here.
Aditya Arya Archive conducted an exhibition of the photographs sometime back. This is like a tribute to our country as well as Kulwant Roy.
I think this is an important link and included after I published this post an hour back.
Ganatantra Diwas Ki Shubh Kaamnaayen!
Jai Hind!
Flag photo courtesy: google
21 comments :
yes happy R-Day to every one der..cheers
In 2008, during the month of August, they had aired the new version of Vande mataram in Sathyam theatres. It was so upsetting to see people cheering and laughing when it was played. and the worst part was when people clapped when it got over.
Thanks a lot for the Aditya Arya link.
Happy Republic Day to you all.
R.Ramesh: Thank you.
vimmuuu: I can understand. I am happy to know that you liked the Aditya Arya link. It deserves more appreciation.
BK Chowla: Thank you and wish you the same! Your post of R.Day was great, Chowlaji!
This is such a lovely post Sandhya .. all gems collected together :)
This song is another one along with Mile Sur, which gives us goosebumps even today :)
We hd that National Pledge as part of our prayer too. 3 days in English, a day each in Hindi, Kannada and Sanskrit :). It definitely deserves a place as part of all prayers :)
Thanks for the link Sandhya :)
N yes, Shastri ji ws one of his kind .. I totally respect him!
Shashtriji was one of a kind, bad luck he didnt stay on long... guess he was needed upstairs.. !
I love Vande Mataram... and it gives me goose flesh everytime I hear.. !
I dont know of current schools... but in my time all schools had us speaking the National Pledge daily !!!!
Swaram: Yes, Latha's voice vibrates our souls in this song.
National Pledge in all languages, very nice.
Shastriji was not a politician in any form. He was an example to show how a Prime Minister should be. A dedicated person to the core.
The pictures in the link are one of its kind.
hitchwriter: You are right, he was needed upstairs, Dhiren! Vande mataram is unique.
Nice to know that the national pledge was recited in your school.
Such a fantastic post!
Happy Republic Day! :)
The songs are all blocked at work so will check them out at home :)
I agree our Indian National Pledge will help people see that we are all Indians first. I heard Anil Ambani saying something like this on NDTV today... I hope more people understand this. We are one people.
I also agree, Whoever wants to survive in their places of work, can learn the local language and blend with the community. It will be for their own good. It is up to the individuals and the political people need not poke their dirty noses into it.
Vande Mataram is what we heard every morning on the radio too and I love it!!
IHM: Did you check the link of Aditya Arya Gallery? Please do and you will like it, I am sure, IHM.
I checked it yesterday and bookmarked it.Thanks Sandhya,it was a great find.I have recommended the link to few of my non blogger friends too.
Saathi haath badhana is an amazing song...it is a fav of chitrahaar (DD).Somehow all these great patriotic songs have a power to make one feel all energized and feel proud of our country.
Kavita: I am very happy to see you here, Kavita! Yes, these songs are evergreen classics. They will never be out of circulation. These two songs are melodious too, aren't they?
Thank you for making more people to know about the rare photos of our people, decades ago.
I suppose idealism was inherrent in daily living back then. Lack of cynicism meant people actually believed they could make a difference individualy.
I so agree with you,Sandhya. We need to learn to adapt ourselves to the ways of domicile city,its in us. Only then can we hope to live in a harmonious environment.
Yes National Pledge needs to be included in school prayers. I remember saying the pledge used to be a part of our morning assembly in school.
I absolutely love vande mataram sung by Lata Mangeshkar & Hemant Kumar. Its so powerful!
Anil P: Yes, we were more innocent as children in those days. Or maybe the past is always greener!
Anyways, welcome here, Anil!
Deeps: Some schools in Chennai recite it on Monday morning prayer with Flag hoisting, not all schools, though. I am enquiring now.
Yes, the song is a very powerful one.
Now the anthem is played at the interval (before the main movie starts)
awesome post Sandhya !everything you have written is true and so important to us.
That Aditya Arya Link has some nice photos... kudos to the people who have preserved them. Because of the internet, we are able to see them too! I can see dignity and respect in their eyes even when Jinnah and Gandhi were talking about the partition! Such were the cadre of people back then
I guess in our schools, the pledge was said during mondays.
Haddock: Who will come inside and stand and give respect? They will come in after it is over, I am sure.
Renu: I think so, Renu.
Destination Infinity: Yes, they are unique photos. Nowadays no one is sincere in whatever they are doing.
I have come to know that it is said on Monday mornings in many schools. I am happy to know it.
nanri:)
I love all those old patriotic songs a lottt. Love all the ones you have mentioned here. I had a similar collection here, sometime back: http://evanescentthoughts.wordpress.com/2009/01/26/jai-hind/ :)
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