National Anthem of India – Jana Gana Mana controversy

The definition of a national anthem according to Wikipedia is – “A national anthem (also national hymn, song etc.) is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogises the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognised either by a nation’s government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.”

One school of thought in India believes that our national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ was written down to praise King George V. Jana Gana Mana written by Gurudev Rabindra Nath Tagore is considered to be penned down to pay homage to the Emperor. He sang the song on 27 December 1911 at Calcutta on the day of Indian National Congress Convention that was also attended by the King. There were few more poets who sang songs at convention to praise George V.

But following the same belief just by seeing word to word meaning of national anthem on facebook or other social media is not logical. One should look back into the history and get full insight before jumping to any conclusion. If you check the news of the earlier times then it becomes clear. You will read news stating that Gurudev had refused such claims and said that national anthem was the product of turmoil running in his mind after his official friends asked him to write down something to felicitate the King. I think such will be thoughts when you were asked to go against your conscience. Jana Gana Mana was written by keeping ‘Divine God in Mind’ not George, as God is the Real Monarch. The personality of Gurudev becomes clearer after knowing that he had also returned the Knighthood recognition given to him by British just to protest the Jallian Wala Bagh massacre. Even in his other work Gitanjali (that won him the Nobel Prize) he had called God as the “divine monarch”. I think our National Anthem has all praise for God not the King.

What so ever may be the story but singing national anthem do evokes the feeling of patriotism. It connects you to your motherland and let you understand what it means to you.

Even if you think that it had been written for the King and should not be our national anthem, then there are many other things especially almost all the monuments in India which were built by British or Muslim invaders and today we are so proud of these. The most prominent shopping place of today’s time in Delhi, Connaught Place was named after the Duke of Connaught. It was the central business district and masterpiece of Lutyens Delhi. Then we have Parliament House in Delhi, India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhawan, Teen Murti Bhawan, Gateway of India and so on which tell the saga of British in India. Will you consider these as a part of praise or part of India?

Before British, Mughals ruled India. I think that they were also not Indians but foreigners. Taj Mahal that is the most visited tourist destination in India was constructed by Mughals. If we go by the same thought of Jana Gana Mana then these monuments including all other such monuments and buildings should be demolished and constructed just to replace with the one which are truly for India and by India. But we won’t do this. So let us believe in what we feel not what other wants us to feel.
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