Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 5 Nov: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the National Song, Vande Mataram, with a large-scale campaign across Uttarakhand involving mass public participation. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and State Party President Mahendra Bhatt, the song will be sung in its original form at all educational and government institutions, as well as at the Assembly constituency level. BJP has claimed that the initiative aims to rekindle nationalist fervour by invoking the powerful spirit and inspirational legacy embedded in Vande Mataram.
State President Mahendra Bhatt has appointed State General Secretary Deepti Rawat as the Convener to coordinate the campaign, which will run from 7 to 26 November. State Secretary Gaurav Pandey and former State President of Yuva Morcha Shashank Rawat will serve as Co-Conveners for this campaign. It may be reminded here that the campaign is aligned with the Central Government’s nationwide celebrations to honour the song’s historic role in India’s freedom struggle. Vande Mataram, which served as a rallying cry during the anti-partition movements, continues to symbolise unity, resistance, and patriotism.
Mahendra Bhatt has shared that the campaign will echo the national sentiment across society and recalled the song’s influence on revolutionaries such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bhagat Singh, and Subhas Chandra Bose. He confirmed that the song will be sung collectively at all district offices of the party and during every organisational programme.
The campaign, titled ‘Vande Mataram @150’, will begin officially on 7 November with mass singing events at Police Lines, Dehradun, in the Garhwal Division in the presence of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, and at MBPG College, Haldwani, in the Kumaon Division, in the presence of State BJP President Mahendra Bhatt. From 8 November onwards, mass recitation of Vande Mataram in its original form, along with the Swadeshi pledge, will be conducted at State Government offices and local bodies including Zila Panchayats, Block Headquarters, Nagar Nigams, and Nagar Palikas. The same will be carried out in all private and government colleges and schools until Constitution Day on 26 November. The police bands will also perform Vande Mataram and other patriotic songs at public places in all district headquarters during the campaign.
BJP Media In charge Manveer Chauhan shared that social and cultural organisations will be encouraged to host programmes under the ‘Vande Mataram @150’ banner, with extensive public awareness generated through social media and digital platforms. Between 8 and 15 November, collective singing and public meetings will be held at all district centres. One college programme will be organised in each Assembly constituency under the leadership of MPs and MLAs concerned. Exhibitions themed on “Vande Mataram @150” will be set up at district headquarters, and seminars exploring the historical and literary significance of Anandamath and Vande Mataram will be conducted. Chauhan added that schools and colleges will host competitions in essay writing, painting, and poetry on the theme ‘Vande Mataram @150 and the Indian Freedom Struggle’. To engage youth and influencers, reel competitions will be held, encouraging the creation of 30-second videos or recitations of the song. The MyGov portal may be used to maximise participation. Additionally, information about the campaign and the post-Independence attempts to sideline the song due to appeasement politics will be disseminated through press conferences and social media at district centres.
