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First Post
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- First Post
From ‘Vande Mataram' to ‘Saare Jahaan Se Achha', how songs inspired India's freedom movement
'Vande Mataram', also known as India's national song, was penned by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in the 1880s. 'Saare Jahan se Accha', also known as 'Tarana-e-Hind', was composed by Allama Muhammad Iqbal. Let's take a closer look at these anthems that inspired India's freedom struggle The Indian national flag is a symbol of the country's freedom from 200 years of British oppression. Representational image India is set to celebrate its 79th Independence Day this year. Much has been written about the heroes, both men and women, of the Independence movement. But did you know that music also played a key part in the struggle to win India's freedom? It was with good reason that 'Vande Mataram' was sung before Jawaharlal Nehru's famed 'Tryst with Destiny' speech in August 1947. Let's take a closer look at how music and poetry inspired the freedom movement. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Vande Mataram' Every Indian knows the song 'Vande Mataram' – also known as India's national song. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee penned this song using Sanskrit and Bengali words sometime in the 1880s. It was first published in his 1882 novel Anandamath, which was set during the events of Sannyasi rebellion. At the time, the British were trying to instil 'God Save our Queen' as the national anthem of British India – which naturally didn't go down well. It gained prominence after Rabindranath Tagore recited it at the Indian National Congress' convention in Calcutta in 1896. A stirring ode to the motherland, it goes thus. 'Vande Mataram! Sujalam, suphalam, malayaja shitalam, Shasyashyamalam, Mataram! Vande Mataram!' Bankim Chandra Chatterjee first published this song in his 1882 novel Anandamath, which was set during the events of Sannyasi rebellion. Aurobindo Ghose, a revolutionary leader, translated the novel into English sometime between 1909 and 1910. His version of the poem reads thus, 'Mother, I bow to thee! Rich with thy hurrying streams, Bright with thy orchard gleams, Cool with the winds of delight, Dark fields waving, Mother of might, Mother free!' The song became a rallying cry for many and a protest anthem against the British – who outlawed it. The song was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India in 1950. It was Rajendra Prasad, India's first president, who gave it the status of India's national song in 1950. Prasad at the time said it had played a major role in India's freedom struggle and should be honoured on equal footing alongside 'Jana Gana Mana'. 'Saare Jahan se Achha' 'Saare Jahan se Accha' is a legendary song that stirred hearts across the land since its inception. Known also as 'Tarana-e-Hind' or Anthem of the People of Hindustan', this Urdu verse was composed by Allama Muhammad Iqbal. Iqbal, a poet, philosopher and politician, was born in in 1877 in Sialkot in undivided India. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The song was originally published in 1904 in the weekly journal titled 'Ittehad'. Iqbal at the time was a lecturer in Lahore's Government Law College. Iqbal, when invited to give a speech by student Lala Har Dayal, instead sang this song. It was also published in the Urdu book 'Bang-i-Dara' in 1924. Allama Muhammad Iqbal, a poet, philosopher and politician, was born in in 1877 in Sialkot in undivided India. The song quickly caught on as a favourite of the Indian freedom movement. It was said to be particularly loved by Gandhiji, who sang it over 100 times when he was in Pune's Yerawada Jail in Pune during 1930s. Though Iqbal's legacy in India is controversial, the song itself remains immensely popular with people of all ages. 'Vishwa Tiranga Pyara' 'Vishwa Tiranga Pyara', also known as Jhanda Geet, was written by Shyamlal Gupta 'Parshad'. Gupta was born on September 9, 1896 in Kanpur's Narwal. Gupta was a nationalist, social worker and freedom fighter. He penned this song in March 1924 as an ode to the National Flag and the resolute determination of those fighting for independence . 'Vijayi ishwa tiranga pyara, jhanda ooncha rahe hamara' ('Victorious be our beloved tricolor in the world, may our flag always fly high). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It was publicly sung for the first time at an event organised by Nehru on April 12, 1924 – the fifth anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Shyamlal Gupta 'Parshad was a nationalist, social worker and freedom fighter. The Congress during a 1938 session adopted the song as its own. It was thus sung at every Congress event as part of its flag salutation ceremony. Gupta passed away in 1977 after receiving the Padma Shri – India's fourth highest honour. 'Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna' 'Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna' became a literal war cry for revolutionaries during the freedom movement. The song was written by Bismil Azimabadi, an Urdu poet from Bihar. Bismil was born Syed Shah Mohammad Hasan in 1901. It goes thus, 'Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai, Dekhna hai zor kitna baazu-e-qaatil mein hai' (The desire for revolution is in our hearts, Let us see what strength there is in the arms of our executioner). It was composed in 1920 – a year after the Jalliawala Bagh massacre – and recited at the Congress' Calcutta session. It was published in the journal 'Saba' in Delhi in 1921. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna' was written by Bismil Azimabadi, an Urdu poet from Bihar. However, it was Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil who popularised this song among the masses. Ironically, Pandit Bismil was himself a writer and bard. Pandit Bismil penned verses in both Urdu and Hindu under psuedonyms Ram, Agyat and Bismil. He also founded the Hindustan Republican Association (later the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association) to which Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad belonged. Pandit Bismil recited this poem before he was hanged – which is why perhaps why the confusion about its authorship persists to this day. 'Kadham Kadham Badhaye Ja' 'Kadham Kadham Badhaye Ja' is associated with Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army (INA). It was penned by poet and lyricist Vanshidhar Shukla. Shukla, born in 1904 in Uttar Pradesh, was a Hindi and Avadhi poet and freedom fighter. It goes thus, 'Kadam kadam badaye ja. Khushi ke geeth gaaye ja Yeh zindagi he quam ke Tu quam pe lootaye ja' (March, March on forward, Singing songs of happiness as you go, This life belongs to our motherlan, Lay it down for the motherland). Bose, who favoured a more dynamic approach towards India's freedom over Gandhiji's non-violent means, formed the INA to overthrow the British in India. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Kadham Kadham Badhaye Ja' is associated with Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army (INA). Wikimedia Commons Bose tasked Captain Ram Singh, who had been taken as a prisoner of war by the Japanese and had been trained in various instruments, to compose a marching song for the INA. Shukla is believed to have penned this song sometime around 1942. It was Singh who set these lyrics to music and made it the marching song of the INA. This song was banned as seditious by the British during World War II – which was lifted after Indian independence. It remains massively popular today and is continued to be played at Indian Army events.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Ye Jung hai Jung-e Azadi: lyrical echoes of India's freedom struggle
— Mohammad Asim Siddiqui Poetry is not just a medium for expressing personal emotion but also serves as a source for creating social awakening, launching political protests, and celebrating heroic deeds and patriotic actions. Many powerful slogans and themes of the Indian freedom movement emerged from the work of poets. Vande Mataram, India's national song that was very popular during the freedom struggle, is from Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's Bengali novel Anandmath (1882). Similarly, the national anthem 'Jana Gana Mana' was written by Rabindranath Tagore in 1911. 'Inquilab Zindabad', the patriotic war cry of revolutionaries during the freedom movement, was coined by freedom fighter and Urdu poet Hasrat Mohani in 1921. The famous song 'Vijayi Vishwa tiranga pyara/jhanda uncha rahe hamara', often sung during important events, was written by Hindi poet Shyamlal Gupta in 1924 and was later adopted by the Indian National Congress. Right from the Revolt of 1857, often described as India's first war of independence, to the country's independence on August 15, 1947, poets writing in both English and Indian languages have written about important events and figures of the freedom movement. Rahi Masoom Raza wrote 1857, a long poem in Urdu also published as Kranti-Katha in Devanagari, which celebrates the bravery of leaders and ordinary people during the Revolt. Explaining the reason behind writing this poem, Raza wrote, 'after the Revolt only misguided people accepted mental defeat but the really far-sighted people continued the fight against the British in some form.' He also highlighted the role of all sections of Indian society in the Revolt, though their reasons for participation in the fight could have been different. Maithilisharan Gupt (1886-1964), one of the pioneers of modern Hindi poetry whose work is known for nationalist themes and patriotic fervour, was given the title of Rashtra Kavi by Mahatma Gandhi. In Bharat Bharti (1912), a book of social awakening, he contrasts India's greatness in education, art and civilisation in the past with the decline he perceived in his time. Ramdhari Singh Dinkar (1908-1974), another important poet known for taking up the themes of nationalism and patriotism in his poetry, wrote Vijay Sandesh (1928), a collection of poems inspired by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's Bardoli Satyagraha in Gujarat – the agitation against the excessive taxation imposed on farmers by the colonial government. The early phase of Indian English poetry shows poets talking about their love of the country and asserting their Indian identity. Toru Dutt (1856-1877) turned to Indian legends and ancient Indian history. Henry Louis Vivian Derozio (1809-1831) clearly expressed his patriotism and love of freedom in his poetry. His famous poem 'To India: My Native Land' mourns the loss of India's ancient glory and laments its 'chained' state and misery under British rule. Sarojini Naidu (1879-1949), a freedom fighter and the first Indian woman president of the Indian National Congress, paid tributes to many national heroes in her poetry. She described Gopal Krishna Gokhale as 'steadfast, serene, dauntless, supremely wise' in her poem 'In Gokhale's Garden', and praised the bravery of Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 'Lokmanya Tilak': Hail dauntless soldier, hail intrepid sage/Who taught our nation Freedom's Gayatri! Immutable from the redeeming flame/Your ashes are our children's heritage, And all the epic rhythms of the sea/Chant your triumphant and undying name. Many Punjabi poets composed powerful verses of protest against the colonial excesses, which angered the British officials. As critic Harbhajan Singh Bhatia notes, Nanak Singh's 'Khooni Vaisakhi', Vidhata Singh Teer's 'Teer Tarang' and Firoz Din Sharaf's 'Dukh de Kirne' were all banned by the colonial government. Nanak Singh (1897-1971), who participated in the protest against the Rowlett Act and miraculously survived the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, wrote a moving account of the tragedy in his long poem Khooni Vaisakhi: A Poem from the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre 1919 (2019). This was ably translated from Punjabi into English by his grandson, Navdeep Suri. The 900-line poem, divided into stanzas, bears titles that trace the narrative arc and emotional tenor of the poem. Some examples include 'Rowlatt Act Controversy', 'The Dead and Wounded', ' The Gathering in Jallianwala Bagh', 'Brig. Gen. Dyer Arrives, Gunfire Begins', and 'People Wailing as They Bring the Corpses of Loved Ones'. In a very poignant tone, Nanak Singh captures the wailing of parents, wives, sisters, and presents the harrowing account of cremation and burial of dead bodies: Clutching lifeless bodies of precious sons/Parents mourn the abject horrors of the day/ My child, oh! Wake up just once more/What makes you sleep in a place so grey? He adopts a tone of extreme anger while addressing Gen. Dyer: Shame on you, you merciless Dyer What brought you to Punjab, O Dyer? Not a sign of mercy unleashing such horror How badly were you drunk, O Dyer? You came here thirsting for our blood Will a lake of it fill your greed, O Dyer? An important feature of Khooni Vaisakhi in its English translation is the addition of an essay titled 'The Sins of the Great-Grandfather', written by Justin Rowlatt, the great-grandson of Sir Sidney Rowlatt, the author of the infamous act. Justin Rowlatt expresses his horror and shock at the massacre, calling the Rowlatt Act 'a draconian piece of legislation'. 'I feel deeply ashamed of my connection to this appalling episode', he wrote. There is also a very strong note of protest against colonial rule in Urdu poetry. Hasrat Mohani (1875-1951) is critical of the oppressive laws that were used to persecute people: Naam se qaanuun ke hote hain kya kya sitam Jabr b zere niqab dekhiye kab tak rahe (How long/will this persecution last/under the garb of law?/Let us see./How long/will this tyranny stay hidden/under cover?/Let us see) (Trans. Surinder Deol) He exhorts his countrymen to remain optimistic about India's independence: Ai k najaat-e hind ki dil se hai tujh ko aarzu Himmat-e sar buland se yaas ka insidaad kar (For India's freedom,/ which is your heart's desire,/you have to keep your morale high,/and avoid the feeling of despair.) (Trans. Surinder Deol) Bismil Azimabadi (1901-1978), a freedom fighter and poet, wrote the ghazal 'Sarfaroshi ki tamanna' in 1921 after the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy. This ghazal became very popular after Ram Prasad Bismil (1897-1927), a freedom fighter and one of the founders of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association, recited it while facing his execution in 1927 for the Kakori train robbery: Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai Dekhna hai zor kitna baazu-e qaatil mein hai (The desire to sacrifice my life for my land/is supreme in my heart./we have to see how much force/is there in the arms of the murderer.) (Trans. Surinder Deol) Almost all poets associated with the Progressive Writers' Movement spoke against colonialism, communalism, and conservatism. Displaying his Marxist leanings, Makhdoom Mohiuddin (1908-1969) wrote 'Ye Jung hai Jung-e Azadi' in which he emphasised the battle of workers, labourers, and the persecuted people to achieve independence. Asrarul Haq Majaz (1911-1955), usually celebrated for his romantic poetry, prefers a flag to the aanchal of his beloved in one poem: Tere maathe pe ye aanchal to bahut hi khuub hai lekin Tu is aanchal se ik parcham bana leti to achchha tha (The corner of your aanchal/ on your forehead looks beautiful,/but it would have been much better/if you had made a flag/out of this material.) (Trans. Surinder Deol) In his book India's Freedom Struggle and Urdu Poetry: Awakening (2022), translated by Surinder Deol, famous Urdu critic Gopichand Narang states four reasons for Urdu's importance during the freedom struggle. First, it was the most popular and most widely used language. Second, many prominent freedom movement leaders knew Urdu well and used this language to address the masses. Third, several revolutionaries composed verses in Urdu. Fourth, it had many great poets 'who composed poems that quickly became songs of freedom'. The book is divided into two parts. In the second part, Narang 'highlights the poetic contributions of four leading poets of the freedom movement: Durga Sahai Suroor Jahanbadi, Josh Malihabadi, Tilok Chand Mehroom, and Firaq Gorakhpuri'. How did the poetry in various Indian languages amplify the patriotic war cry of revolutionaries during India's freedom struggle. In what ways did poetry during the freedom movement appeal to diverse groups of people by blending romantic, religious, and revolutionary imagery? How do you think the participation in the fateful massacre in Jallianwala Bagh shaped the emotional tone and narrative style of poets like Nanak SIngh? Why was Urdu such a potent medium for mobilising people during the freedom struggle, and how did its popularity intersect with the multilingual character of the movement? (Mohammad Asim Siddiqui is a Professor in the Department of English at Aligarh Muslim University.) 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Time of India
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Strict action against anyone disrupting Kanwar Yatra: Dy CM
1 2 Prayagraj: Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Thursday said the state govt would take strict legal action against anyone disrupting the faith and devotion of kanwariyas. "Kanwar Yatra is a symbol of faith, discipline and enthusiasm. Govt is making elaborate arrangements for the yatra across the state in the month of Shravan. However, mischievous elements should not be given any opportunity to spoil the environment," he said. Maurya was in city to participate in poet Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's birth anniversary celebrations. He said all religious events must be conducted with devotion, safety, and social harmony, and the administrative machinery must work with full sensitivity and alertness. He also lashed out at Samajwadi Party and said whenever land grabbing cases involving people associated with the SP are being investigated, they make baseless allegations. On the question of grabbing govt land by slain Atiq Ahmed's henchmen, the Deputy CM said whoever is involved in such misdeeds should immediately stop this or else the state govt will teach them a lesson. Speaking on Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Maurya said: "His poem Vande Mataram is a great mantra that helped India break the shackles of British slavery and increased the honour of the Indian tricolour. Our freedom fighters embraced execution while singing this mantra." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo He said Chatterjee's pen did the work that even swords couldn't do. He also garlanded the pictures of Chatterjee and Bharat Mata. On the occasion, the district unit of BJP organised a mass singing of "Vande Mataram" at Amar Shaheed Chandrashekhar Azad Circuit House on Thursday. BJP's Prayagraj Mahanagar president Sanjay Gupta said: "Prayagraj is the only district where every year a collective Vande Mataram is sung on the birth anniversary of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee on June 26. This is a matter of pride. Vande Mataram is our consciousness and our strength."
