Kolkata: For a long time after India’s Independence and the country’s partition, ‘Vande Mataram’ was not accepted from the core of the heart by some, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday.
“It was sung in the Parliament. Everyone used to stand up. But many people like me were saddened that even after Independence and the partition, the entire Vande Mataram was not sung,” he said.
The Union Home Minister said this while addressing the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) officers and staff in Siliguri, Darjeeling district, in the northern sector of West Bengal. He also interacted with SSB personnel and laid the foundation stone for various projects of the Sashastra Seema Bal in Siliguri.
“A few days ago, Independence Day was celebrated. Since 2015, whenever Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hoisted the national flag at the Red Fort, I used to be present there. But this year’s 80th Independence Day ceremony was very different. This was the first time that the entire Vande Mataram was sung. This is a unique creation of Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. It not only gave momentum to the freedom movement, but also gave it a vision of what an independent India should be like. By creating a book, he decided what an independent India should be like,” the Union Home Minister said.
HM Shah was all praise for Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who shared the dais with him. “Since he has taken charge as a Chief Minister, the long-pending work for land allotment for border fencing has gained momentum. Already, the state government has allotted 1,129 acres of land for border fencing. Earlier, I personally pleaded to the previous Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, so many times for land allotment. But she ignored that plea. I used to invite her to attend Central government programmes in West Bengal. But she never attended. I failed to make her realise that we were not seeking the land for the BJP. She did not understand that we were seeking the land for border security to ensure the safety and security of the country,” the Union Home Minister said.
HM Shah also spoke about Ustad Bismillah Khan on the occasion, paying tribute to him on his death anniversary.
“I would like to share a quote of his today that shows what a great personality he was. When he was asked, ‘You have played the shehnai in Parliament, before several Presidents, and at many grand events. Where do you get the most joy from playing the shehnai?’ he replied, ‘There is no greater joy for me than playing the shehnai on the banks of the Ganga in the morning, in the presence of Kashi Vishwanath’,” the Union Home Minister said.
(IANS)
