Mysuru, Nov 7: Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Friday urged citizens to uphold the spirit of patriotism as India commemorates 150 years of Vande Mataram — the timeless national song composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.
Participating in a special programme organised at the BEML unit in Mysuru, which was connected live to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address from New Delhi, the Union Minister said he was delighted to be part of the historic event.
“Even after one and a half centuries, Vande Mataram remains immortal in the hearts of every Indian. Listening to it still fills one with goosebumps,” Kumaraswamy said, recalling its pivotal role in uniting a fragmented India during the freedom struggle.
He praised Prime Minister Modi’s initiative to launch a year-long nationwide commemoration of the song’s 150th anniversary, calling on the youth to embrace the ideals embedded in Vande Mataram and nurture national pride and unity.
On the occasion, Kumaraswamy also planted a sapling within the BEML campus to mark the event, symbolising growth and renewal. The ceremony was attended by MLA G.T. Harish Gowda and senior BEML officials.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka remarked that Vande Mataram was “not merely a national song but the lifeblood of India’s freedom movement — a declaration of cultural nationalism.”
The BJP’s Karnataka unit, in a post on X, stated: “150 years ago, Vande Mataram lit a spark that united India in its fight for freedom. Today, in a confident and resurgent New India, that spark has become a national fire driving progress, innovation, and global leadership.”
Penned by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1875 and later included in his novel Anandamath, Vande Mataram remains an enduring symbol of India’s unity, pride, and patriotic spirit.
