As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) marked the 150th anniversary of the national song Vande Mataram on Friday, composed by the eminent novelist and civil servant Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, the West Bengal government took a simultaneous yet distinct cultural step by mandating the singing of the state song Banglar Mati, Banglar Jol alongside the national anthem Jana Gana Mana in all state-run and state-sponsored schools across the state.

The directive, issued by the school education department on Thursday afternoon, came into effect on Friday morning. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee approved the order, and Education Minister Bratya Basu clarified that the move aims to reinforce social and communal harmony within the state. Prior to this order, schools in West Bengal were required to sing only the national anthem during morning assemblies, and there was no official state prayer song recognized across government institutions.

Adopted as the official state song in 2023, Banglar Mati, Banglar Jol carries historical significance dating back to the Swadeshi Movement. The song was first sung during the Raksha Bandhan ceremony initiated by Rabindranath Tagore on October 16, 1905, in the backdrop of Lord Curzon’s controversial partition of Bengal. The song symbolized unity among Hindus and Muslims in Bengal at a time of political and social upheaval. By making its recitation mandatory in schools, the TMC government underscores its commitment to the state’s cultural heritage and seeks to impart lessons of unity, communal harmony, and regional pride to the younger generation.

Meanwhile, the BJP observed the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram with state-level rallies, notably in Chinsurah in Hooghly district, where Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay lived. The national party highlighted the historical role of the song in India’s freedom struggle, emphasizing its use in Chattopadhyay’s 1882 novel Anandamath. The novel depicted the story of Hindu monks waging a symbolic war against British colonial authorities and oppressive landlords during the 1770 Bengal famine. The song, written as a tribute to the motherland, became an emblematic call for independence and has remained a cornerstone of India’s nationalist and patriotic ethos.

The TMC government, while mandating Banglar Mati, Banglar Jol, also formed a committee on November 4 comprising poets, writers, and intellectuals to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram within the state. However, the BJP criticized the state government’s efforts as inadequate. Sukanta Majumdar, former state BJP president and Union minister of state, expressed concern that the state government had “done nothing except for setting up a committee” and alleged that Bengal seemed to have forgotten Chattopadhyay in the observance of this milestone.

In response, TMC leaders highlighted the broader educational and cultural initiatives undertaken by the state. At a press conference featuring the playing of the national anthem, Education Minister Bratya Basu and Industry, Commerce, and Enterprises Minister Shashi Panja paid floral tributes to Rabindranath Tagore. Panja remarked that Tagore was an enlightened figure who reshaped India’s collective conscience, promoting wisdom, unity, and religious harmony. She criticised the BJP, claiming that the party’s ideology is divisive and parochial, and that it does not align with the inclusive vision promoted by Tagore.

The debate also intersected with remarks made by Karnataka BJP lawmaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri regarding the national anthem Jana Gana Mana. Bratya Basu cited Kageri’s comment that the anthem was written to welcome British officials as an example of the BJP’s “contempt for Bengal and Bengalis.” The remark sparked a defensive response from BJP state leaders, with Sukanta Majumdar noting that it represented Kageri’s personal opinion and did not necessarily reflect the party’s stance.

BJP opposition leaders in West Bengal, including Suvendu Adhikari, used the anniversary to reinforce the political symbolism of Vande Mataram, framing it as a tool of national and political mobilization. Adhikari, addressing a rally in Kolkata, asserted that the song had been a driving force in India’s freedom movement and expressed the party’s intention to harness its spirit in challenging the ruling TMC in the state.

The contrasting approaches between the TMC and BJP highlight a broader discourse on cultural and historical interpretation in contemporary India. While the BJP emphasizes the nationalistic significance of Vande Mataram as a symbol of resistance against colonial rule, the TMC seeks to blend national pride with regional identity by institutionalizing Banglar Mati, Banglar Jol in educational settings. This dual commemoration reflects ongoing debates on the representation of cultural symbols in public institutions and education, raising questions about the balance between national and regional narratives in shaping civic consciousness among students.

The timing of the TMC’s decision is also politically significant, coming on the same day as the BJP’s nationwide celebrations. The state’s insistence on mandatory recitation of the state song can be seen as a reaffirmation of Bengal’s unique cultural identity, while also responding to what it perceives as a centralising or homogenizing narrative promoted by national parties. By embedding the song into daily school routines, the TMC is ensuring that cultural memory and historical context are passed on to the next generation, reinforcing lessons of unity and the historical struggle for communal harmony during the Swadeshi era.

In sum, the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram has become a flashpoint for cultural, political, and educational discourse in West Bengal. The TMC’s move to institutionalize Banglar Mati, Banglar Jol alongside Jana Gana Mana in schools exemplifies the state’s efforts to assert regional cultural pride, while the BJP’s celebrations underscore its focus on nationalistic symbolism and historical memory of the freedom struggle. As both parties seek to project their ideological narratives, the educational sector in West Bengal has become a key arena where historical legacy, cultural identity, and civic education intersect.

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