Since the BJP came to power, its politicians and supporters have strongly promoted the strict observance of Vande Mataram, India’s National Song, and Jana Gana Mana, India’s National Anthem, at various forums. My question to them is: How many understand and, more importantly, practice—the central message of our national song and national anthem? The central message of Vande Mataram is profound love, worship, and devotion to the motherland, personifying India as a nurturing and divine mother. It serves as a call for national unity, cultural pride, and fearless resistance against oppression. The central message of "Jana Gana Mana"is the celebration of unity in diversity and the acknowledgment of India as a pluralistic nation where people of various cultures, regions, and faiths are bound together by a collective destiny. I urge BJP politicians and supporters to reflect on and practice the central message of Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana, instead of using them as political tools to brand others as anti-national. Those who fail to follow the central message of India’s national song and anthem are the ones acting against the nation’s ideals.
ARWIN MESQUITA, Colva
