Author: Sabyasachi Bhattacharya
Publisher: Penguin
Year: 2003
Language: English
Pages: 136
ISBN/UPC (if available): 0143030558
Description
What is it that makes Vande Mataram the icon that it is? How did a poetic paean to the nation become a symbol of communal dispute? This work provides answers o these and other related questions.
Rarely has a poem given rise to such a diverse array of descriptions or been the subject of controversy over such a long period of time. But then Vande Matram is no ordinary poem. Glorified by many as the last word in patriotic ardor, criticized as vehemently by others for its implicit idolatry and religious rhetoric, translated into all major Indian languages, set to music by icons as disparate as Rabindranath Tagore and A R Rahman, Vande Mataram continues to hold an indelible place in the national psyche, as is evident in its reported nomination as one of the two most popular songs in India, even 130 years after it was written.
Contents
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
One: The Communal War Cry
Two: National Anthem?
Three: Slogan
Four: The Poem
Vande Mataram
Vande Mataram (in translation)
Notes and References
Notes on Personalities