The national song Vande Mataram, a dedication to the motherland, should be sung in its entirety across the country to elevate its status, as the Union government has sought, on the occasion of the poem’s 150th anniversary, former state BJP president K. Annamalai said on Friday.
Addressing the students, faculty and staff of SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) at an event organized by Tamil Perayam, he read the later stanzas of the poem and its Tamil translation. He said poet Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay evoked the Bengali deity Durga in later stanzas, merging Hinduism and nationalism. After independence, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru did not agree to accept the entire song as it might “irritate” members of the Muslim or Christian community, he added. For its 150th anniversary, it would be appropriate to sing the song in its entirety and raise its status.
TR Paarivendhar, founder and chancellor, SRM Group of Institutions, said Tamil Perayam, an organization formed by the SRM Group to promote the Tamil language, was instrumental in its efforts to open Tamil departments in several higher education institutions in India and abroad. He also announced the launch of the Dr. TR Paarivendhar Tamil Foundation with a contribution of ₹ 10 lakhs as seed fund.
Kara. Nagarajan, Head, Tamil Perayam and R. Arunachalam, Estate Officer, Directorate of Campus Administration, SRMIST spoke.
Published – 31 Jan 2026 05:30 IST
