Skip to main content

Can Vande Mataram spirit, which inspired freedom fighters, rejuvenate youth today?


By Sudhansu R Das
The famous nationalist writer, Bankim Chandra coined the most powerful mantra “Vande Mataram” which had inspired thousands of Indians to fight the mighty British Empire. The writer had done this to arouse patriotism among the Indians. Men, women and children chanted the mantra and became fearless to face the bullets, swords, boots, hoofs and batons of the marauding British soldiers who were backed by a large number of Indians for whom patriotism was a taboo.
Those nationalist writers, poets and thinkers will be in terrible pain if they find the present condition of Bharat Maata who is being torn apart due to caste, language and religious divide in the country. Cross border terrorism, hunger, unemployment and decadence of the ancient Indian culture would have hurt the nationalist thinkers more than the British atrocity.
The Mantra, “Vande Mataram” which had united the common man to achieve freedom should be revived to build strong Indians who can think freely, innovate and build an India of their dream. A developing nation has little chance to safeguard its border, its culture, its people and its economy unless the nation puts serious effort to become very strong the way Japan did after World War II.
First, the country has to revive its educational institutions right from the primary school level to Higher Education level. All political leaders, right from the Sarpanch Level to the Member of Parliament should collect minute details of the educational institutions in their locality. Minute details means students-teachers ratio, availability of play ground, laboratory, cleanliness of wash rooms, condition of furniture in school, quality of class room teaching, performance of the educational institutions, cleanliness of the campus and health of the students etc should be with the elected representatives.
Like educational institutions, the profile of all the water bodies should be prepared and kept with the public representatives who will be accountable for any deterioration of the water bodies. All details of the crops’ diversity and fertile agricultural land, forest area, native plants, local handicraft and handloom traditions should be properly documented by the Sarpanch, MLA and MPs for nation building.
Both ruling and opposition party leaders should distribute election tickets to candidates on the basis of the status of schools, agriculture land, water bodies, crop diversity, forest cover, weaving and handicraft traditions etc. Conditions of roads, bridges, rivers and lakes should be examined before giving tickets to the aspiring candidates. The patriotic leaders of both the ruling and the opposition parties should take this hard decision if they really want to make India strong and self-reliant in every field.
India is too vulnerable in the area of education, research, defence technology, artificial intelligence and in creating inclusive opportunities for all. The physical and mental capacities of the Indians should be developed to build a strong India in order to face the challenge of China and the never ending threat from Pakistan. If India becomes strong and self-sufficient it will automatically command respect among the world leaders. India should not always plead them for support; it should go ahead with an eye for an eye approach if the situation demands.
Second, India has to make progress in the field of science and technology; more innovation in Artificial Intelligence will help India counter China who is in a position to crash aircraft, sink warships and jam defence systems of any country with artificial intelligence. Industries should be given a deadline to prove their worth and give the nation a few original products which can make India proud. Instead of wasting time on ordinary mechanic jobs of assembling imported parts, they should spend more on research and development; sponsor research works in universities and develop schools. The industrialists have taken enough from the country and they should invent new products to grab a bigger share of the global market. There is no place for a technologically backward country in the dog eat dog type of global competition.
Advanced nations make developing nations feel like jokers in the international forum. Let at least two of our Universities find a place in the first 100 Universities of the world in the next five years which will prove the GDP growth has met one of the main objectives of a country. As per Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022, no Indian University is among the top 200 universities of the world. Indian education has suffered for many decades and cannot be better unless there is dedicated effort by a group of patriotic people.
Third, the role of the media is not to report half a story but the entire “Five Ws” with minute details. Let the media not run out of ink or thoughts when India desperately needs the media people to educate, reform and inform people for building a strong India. Media should prepare the profile of every village, district and state on its own to inform about the overall progress of the country in detail. Let the media read the capacity of our schools, universities, hospitals, judiciary, industries and banks and inform people whether they are giving justice to the country.
Let the mantra, Vande Mataram be recited in Parliament, in every school and in every institution to recharge our youth for nation building. Safety and prosperity of the country is above any religion and region. This is high time for all the patriotic people of India to desist themselves from the greed of political power and build the core strengths of the country. Let the mantra turn into a flame and burn all kinds of language, caste and religious divide in the country to create an all encompassing “One India Feeling” for growth and prosperity.

Comments

TRENDING

Towards 2024: Time for ‘We the People of India’ to wake up before it is too late

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ*  It is Constitution Day once again! We, the people of India, gratefully remember 26 November 1949 when the Constitution of India was passed and adopted by the Constituent Assembly. The Constituent Assembly comprised women and men of distinction, who were able to represent the heart and soul of the people of India without fear or favour. They gave of their best, so that we may a visionary Constitution, which would be the mainstay for and of democracy in India!

Regretful: Kapil Dev retired not leaving Indian cricket with integrity he upheld

By Harsh Thakor  Kapil Dev scaled heights as an entertainer and a player upholding the spirit of the game almost unparalleled in his era. In his time he was cricket’s ultimate mascot of sportsmanship On his day Kapil could dazzle in all departments to turn the tempo of game in the manner of a Tsunami breaking in. He radiated r energy, at a level rarely scaled in his era on a cricket field. Few ever blended aggression with artistry so comprehenisively. Although fast medium, he could be as daunting with the ball as the very best, with his crafty outswinger, offcutter, slower ball and ball that kicked from a good length. Inspite of bowling on docile tracks on the subcontinent, Kapil had 434 scalps, with virtually no assistance. I can never forget how he obtained pace and movement on flat pancakes, trapping the great Vivian Richards in Front or getting Geoff Boycott or Zaheer Abbas caught behind. No paceman carried the workload of his team’s bowling attack on his shoulders in his eras muc

How the slogan Jai Bhim gained momentum as movement of popularity and revolution

By Dr Kapilendra Das*  India is an incomprehensible plural country loaded with diversities of religions, castes, cultures, languages, dialects, tribes, societies, costumes, etc. The Indians have good manners/etiquette (decent social conduct, gesture, courtesy, politeness) that build healthy relationships and take them ahead to life. In many parts of India, in many situations, and on formal occasions, it is common for people of India to express and exchange respect, greetings, and salutation for which we people usually use words and phrases like- Namaskar, Namaste, Pranam, Ram Ram, Jai Ram ji, Jai Sriram, Good morning, shubha sakal, Radhe Radhe, Jai Bajarangabali, Jai Gopal, Jai Jai, Supravat, Good night, Shuvaratri, Jai Bhole, Salaam walekam, Walekam salaam, Radhaswami, Namo Buddhaya, Jai Bhim, Hello, and so on.

Critical factors that determine, contribute to the success and effectiveness of NGOs

By Rohit Rakshit  Over the last few years, I have been fortunate to work with numerous non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across various states in the country. This experience has allowed me to gain insights into their diverse areas of work while also enabling me to analyze the key attributes that contribute to the success of a good NGO. According to my observations, the following are the critical factors that determine the effectiveness of an NGO.

Polytechnic Uprising 50 years ago even today inspires radical Greek youth movement

By Harsh Thakor*  On November 17, progressive sections in Greece marked the 50th anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic Uprising of 1973. A massive rally from the Athens Polytechnic passed through various parts of the city, including the US Embassy. Thousands of activists from the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Communist Youth of Greece (KNE), Students Struggle Front (MAS), Federation of Greek Women (OGE), Hellenic Committee for International Detente and Peace (EEDYE), and All Workers Militant Front (PAME), among other groups, participated in the march denouncing imperialism, fascism and military dictatorship.

Delhi labour chowk workers get work for 15 days a month, 10% get grain on ration cards

By Bharat Dogra*  It is around 10 in the morning and the number of workers at the Sigalpur labor chowk in Shalimar Bagh area of Delhi is increasing. As a worker Munna says: “The hope of getting any work is much lesser now due to pollution related ban on construction but still workers assemble here in the hope of getting at least some minor repair or other work.”

How adamant Bellsonika management is continuously robbing workers' livelihood

By Harsh Thakor*  On September 27th, earlier this year, the Bellsonika Workers’ Union was stripped of legal status or registration. The Haryana government's labour department cancelled the registration of the Bellsonica workers' union over granting the membership to one of the 'contractual workers'. It was major breach on Constitutional Rights of workers, to enable the contract labour system to flourish, and tighten the noose on any form of workers resistance.

Day to remember hardship, sincere efforts of Dr Ambedkar for framing Constitution

By Dr Kapilendra Das  The 26th of November, the day of an important landmark in India's journey as an Independent, Sovereign, socialist, secular, and Democratic, Republic is celebrated as National Constitution Day in India, also known as Samvidhan Divas. On this day the constituent Assembly adopted the constitution of India in 1949 to secure the Indian Citizen's justice, liberty, equality, and union which came into effect two months later, on January 26, 1950, and India became a Republic.

TERI researchers outline ways for robust, equitable and flexible outcome at COP28

By Sanya Hans  Researchers at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) launched two crucial policy briefs ahead of the much anticipated 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) scheduled from November 30 to December 12, 2023 at Dubai, UAE.  Former climate negotiator, Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri, a Distinguished Fellow at TERI emphasized, “Adaptation is an imperative and absolute must in present times for the Global South. COP28 needs to make the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) integral to climate commitments and action”.  “Climate change demands that energy use must be sustainable; the development imperative of the Global South demands it to be inclusive, just and fair," Mr Puri added.   Outcome on GGA will be a key determinant for the success of COP28   The policy brief titled ‘Road to Dubai and The Global Goal on Adaption’ reviewed the discussions around the GGA framework to provide perspectives on what could be a robust, equitable, and flexible outcome of the GGA process at CO

Raising temperature of frozen foods by 3 degrees from -18°C to -15°C can slash carbon emissions: Study

By Payel Sannigrahi  Frozen food temperatures could be changed by just three degrees to save the carbon dioxide emissions of 3.8 million cars per year, research suggests.