Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Needless controversy

The Vande Mataram controversy has snowballed into a national debate, what with politicians vying with one another to project themselves as saviours of nationalism and patriotism. If one can appreciate the song in view of the period in which it was composed and the scenario prevalent then, such a needless controversy would not have arisen.

S.A. Murali,
Chennai

I wonder why the saffron brigade has made such a big issue of Muslims' refusal to sing Vande Mataram. The frustrated BJP seems to be bent on creating a rift in society and making political capital out of it. The singing of a song is certainly not a criterion to determine patriotism. It is those who seek to divide the people on religious lines who are anti-national and unpatriotic.

V.M. Mohanraj,
Kennewick, Washington

The motive behind glorifying Vande Mataram is not patriotism. It is to divide the people. A poor man cannot get food by reciting Vande Mataram. We should try to understand the politics behind making Vande Mataram controversial.

Syed Safir Ahmad,
Kanpur, U.P.

Muslims have contributed to the freedom struggle as much as Hindus have and have held their motherland in high regard. That their patriotism is being questioned because they refused to recite a song is unfair to them.

Mohammed Siraj,
Coimbatore

The reverberating song of the freedom movement has been turned into a marketable commodity with political parties and groups vying with one another to exhibit their patriotism and national pride. If a song determines our patriotism, what awaits the nation is difficult to predict.

N. Divakar,
Mysore

What are the views of Rabindranath Tagore, author of our national anthem, on patriotism?

Amartya Sen says in Tagore and His India: "Tagore's criticism of patriotism is a persistent theme in his writings. As early as 1908, he put his position succinctly in a letter replying to the criticism of Abala Bose, the wife of a great Indian scientist, Jagadish Chandra Bose: `Patriotism cannot be our final spiritual shelter; my refuge is humanity. I will not buy glass for the price of diamonds, and I will never allow patriotism to triumph over humanity as long as I live.'"

G. Thayumanavan,
Bangalore

The media's coverage of the issue leaves much to be desired. One television news channel lined up children and asked them their opinion on singing the song. Politicians and fundamentalists have done enough to confuse the young minds. What is the need for the media to add fuel to the fire? Dragging children into a political controversy just to score over other channels was the height of irresponsibility.

C.R. Sathyanarayanan,
Chennai

Unfortunately, none of our leaders or the media came forward to educate our citizens to clarify the contents of the song and defuse the controversy. It is a pity that they did not rise above religion in helping the masses to come to an impartial conclusion. It is also a pity that people harping on unity in diversity never try to unify the nation but find immense pleasure in expanding the diversity.

K.R. Sudhakaran Pillai,
Kochi, Kerala

Sadly, we all seem to have forgotten that the issue was triggered by a circular asking States to ensure the singing of Vande Mataram in schools and colleges. The way it has snowballed is bound to sow the seeds of confusion in the minds of the young, which is unfortunate for the future of the country.

Supriyo Sen,
Coimbatore

The nation stands more polarised than ever before at the end of the controversy with Muslims thinking they were being forced by the communal forces to sing Vande Mataram and others alleging that Muslims prefer their religion over everything else.

Kannan Ramakrishnan,
Alpharetta, Georgia

Like the reservation issue, Vande Mataram too has made a dent on our togetherness. No religion would debar anyone from singing a song that praises the country. The so-called defenders of faith are bringing untold harm to society by reading between the lines of the scriptures.

Raghubir Singh,
Pune

The Vande Mataram controversy has made me wonder whether sticking to rituals involving the national symbols serves any purpose. I believe that in a country where teachers shirk their duty, doctors neglect their patients, lawyers defend criminals for money, the police have no hesitation in harassing the poor and politicians are crossing the limits of decency, the symbols are losing their significance.

Y.P. Joshi,
Varanasi, U.P.

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