Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy calls for unity and nation-building

Villupuram (Tamil Nadu): The Senji (Gingee) Fort in Villupuram North District of Tamil Nadu echoed with patriotic fervour on Friday evening as citizens gathered to commemorate 150 years of the national song “Vande Mataram.” The celebration, held in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to honour the legacy of India’s freedom struggle, was marked by the participation of students, ex-servicemen, and local residents.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, National Co-Incharge of BJP Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, said the commemoration of Vande Mataram served as a reminder of the ideals that ignited India’s freedom movement. “The song is a mantra that inspired generations of patriots to rise for the motherland,” he said.

The gathering paid rich tributes to Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, who penned Vande Mataram in 1875, and to freedom icons Bipin Chandra Pal, Rabindranath Tagore, Aurobindo Ghosh, and Subramania Bharati, whose writings and vision strengthened India’s spirit of independence.