Vande Matram carries scent of soil, holds breath for freedom

Karimnagar: On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Vande Mataram song composed by Bankimchandra Chatterjee during the country’s independence movement, a Vande Mataram recitation programme was organised at the Collectorate on Friday.

On this occasion, many expressed their opinions with emotion. Boinapalli Praveen Rao, social activist, speaking to The Hans India said that Vande Mataram is unique. The song that became a national slogan and spirit: Vande Mataram did not remain just a song in the Indian independence movement, it became a powerful slogan.

During the Anti-Partition Movement of 1905, this song spread across the country and filled the oppressed people with immense patriotism and unity. This song strongly expresses the concept of worshipping India as a living Mother Goddess. This concept has become an inspiration to lead all the people of the country as one family and towards a single goal, he said. PG student Lunavath Usha said 150 years of “Vande Mataram” a song that wasn’t just sung, but lived. It rose in whispers when courage was banned, it thundered in hearts when swords were silenced. Every syllable carried the scent of our soil, every verse held the breath of freedom.

Even today, when the world moves fast and memories fade, “Vande Mataram” stands still — reminding us that the truest love is not spoken in luxury, but in sacrifice, she said. Thirunagari Devaki, a retired principal said “When I hear Vande Mataram, I don’t just hear an old melody; I feel a living pulse. It tells me that loving my country means keeping her dreams alive — through kindness, creativity, and courage”. Our generation may not hold flags in protest, but we hold ideas that can rebuild nations. 150 years later, the song still breathes through us — not as history, but as hope, she said.

Army Junior Commissioned Officer Dr Peruka Raju said “Vande Mataram” is more than a national song, it is a mirror held to our collective soul. It asks what kind of children we have become to the Mother.

To celebrate 150 years of its legacy is not to sing it louder but to listen more deeply to the echo of justice, harmony, and compassion that once awakened a nation’s conscience. The true tribute to Vande Mataram lies not in the volume of our voices but in the values we revive the timeless spirit of oneness that still calls us home, he said.