A song which was composed more than a hundred years ago having a potential of coagulating the national sentiment, the song which forms national ethos, gives strength to the bravehearts treading the hot desert soil, and the freezing cold glaciers .When its credibility is doubted it agitates the masses. One such song we all agree upon,the one which has the strength to bring everyone in this country together is ‘Jana Gana Mana’. But what about those who lambaste it’s origin?
Jana Gana Mana, our National Anthem has been under the radar of scrutiny and controversy ever since it was adopted as the National Anthem on January 24th, 1950. The composition was first sung during a convention of the Indian National Congress in Calcutta on 27 December 1911. It was sung on the second day of the convention, and the agenda of that day devoted itself to a loyal welcome of George V on his visit to India. The event was reported thus in the British Indian press: “The Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore sang a song composed by him specially to welcome the Emperor.” (Statesman, Dec. 28, 1911). Some other controversies related to the Anthem are more recent. On 30 Nov,2016 the Supreme Court of India made it mandatory for cinemas to play the national anthem before movie shows to ‘instill committed patriotism and nationalism’ in the masses, accompanied by an image of the national flag on the screen. Patrons were expected to stand up during the anthem and the doors to be locked to minimize disruption. Some believed that it would result in the targeting of individuals who did not choose to participate. This led to a few arrests in different states. Now, one might believe that ‘The’ song of absolute devotion to the nation, ‘THE NATIONAL ANTHEM’ is fallacious! Rabindranath Tagore himself cleared the dispute. The following are excerpts from his letters:
“A certain high official in His Majesty’s service, who was also my friend, had requested that I write a song of felicitation towards the Emperor. The request simply amazed me. It caused a great stir in my heart. In response to that great mental turmoil, I pronounced the victory in Jana Gana Mana of that Bhagya Bidhata [ed. God of Destiny] of India who has from age after age held steadfast the reins of India’s chariot through rise and fall, through the straight path and the curved. That Lord of Destiny, that Reader of the Collective Mind of India, that Perennial Guide, could never be George V, George VI, or any other George. Even my official friend understood this about the song. After all, even if his admiration for the crown was excessive, he was not lacking in simple common sense.” “I should only insult myself if I cared to answer those who consider me capable of such unbounded stupidity as to sing in praise of George the Fourth or George the Fifth as the Eternal Charioteer leading the pilgrims on their journey through countless ages of the timeless history of mankind.”
Some cynics still question the validity of his letters considering that his clarification came after the death of George V in 1936. They believe that the Knighthood was bestowed to Tagore on the wish of Emperor George V, who was made to believe that the song ‘Jana Gana Mana’ was composed eulogizing the Emperor. The argument of cynics holds no ground as he renounced his Knighthood in 1919 in protest of The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. Rabindranath Tagore was a patriot who wrote many songs about nationalism even after ‘Jana Gana Mana’. History of a poet, his bi-radical bias, his affiliations etc. are immaterial once the status of a song renders it a super status of an anthem. It has to be habituated among one and all to gush adrenaline when national anthem is heard. Unquestionably there must be left no doubts about the holiness of an anthem.
By Arastu Sharma
Chords & Co. 