Chandigarh , November 7 - Haryana Chief Minister Shri Naib Singh Saini said that Vande Mataram is not just a song , but it is the soul, heartbeat and identity of India . The Chief Minister was addressing the crowd present at the state level function organized on the occasion of 150 years of Vande Mataram in Ambala, the holy land of Maa Amba, on Friday .
The state-level programme also featured a live telecast of the main inaugural ceremony held in New Delhi to mark the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram . In his address, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi paid homage to the immortal spirit of Vande Mataram . He inaugurated the year-long celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of the national song Vande Mataram and also released a commemorative postage stamp and coin .
Earlier, Chief Minister Shri Naib Singh Saini congratulated the people of the state on the completion of 150 years of the Vande Mataram song and also gave a Swadeshi Sankalp to the people present. He also reviewed the exhibition organized by the Information, Public Relations and Language Department showcasing the glorious story of Vande Mataram .

**'Vande Mataram ' is the soul of India - Chief Minister
Chief Minister Shri Naib Singh Saini said that Vande Mataram is not just a song , but it is the expression of the consciousness of India's Swaraj movement . This song had awakened the spirit of self-confidence, discipline and sacrifice among the Indians who were in the chains of slavery . He said that this song was the divine power which shook the British Raj and ignited the light of revolution within the youth . The British were afraid of this song because it had a power crore times more than weapons .
The Chief Minister said that the song Vande Mataram is the echo of the greenness of our rivers, the greenness of our fields and the pride of our land . It is composed in the penance of Shivaratri , in the joy of Baisakhi, in the colours of Holi and in the lamps of Diwali . This song is the nectar mantra of our unity .

**A 150 - year journey of national consciousness
The Chief Minister said that Vande Mataram was composed by Shri Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in the year 1875. In the year 1896 , Shri Rabindranath Tagore recited it publicly in Kolkata . During the Bengal Partition Movement in 1905, this song became the inspiration for the movement with its melody in Rag Desh Malhar . This song became a symbol of nationalism and unity against the British rule . The Chief Minister said that its power was so strong that the British government banned its singing . This song gave momentum to the freedom movement by tying people of every class, every religion and every region of India in one thread .

**Martyrdom memorial built in Ambala Cantt in memory of brave sons? ?
The Chief Minister said that history is witness that in 1857, the first spark of the freedom struggle was ignited from the sacred land of Ambala . This is the same land which has not only written and spoken about bravery but also lived it . He said that the state government has constructed a martyr's memorial in Ambala Cantt in the memory of these brave sons .

**Those who object to ' Vande Mataram ' do not understand the soul of India.
The Chief Minister said that some people object to Vande Mataram. He said that these people do not understand the culture, spirit and national pride of India . He said that in 1923, Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar was invited to sing Vande Mataram at the Kakinada Congress session, 
but that year, Congress President Maulana Mohammad Ali objected on religious grounds and said that music is prohibited in Islam . Later in 1937 , the Congress Working Committee decided to change the national anthem to please Muslim leaders. Later too, the Congress and its leaders showed their disagreement with Vande Mataram many times.
AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi had demanded in 2017 that the circular making Vande Mataram mandatory for students in schools be revoked . Recently, the Congress government in Telangana has also said that Vande Mataram will not be made mandatory in schools.
He said that in the same way, in the year 2019, the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh had banned the singing of Vande Mataram in the Secretariat . He said that Vande Mataram is not a controversy , it is the offering of Mother India . This is not a viewpoint , it is the song of those who follow the path of patriotism .

**A Gita that awakened the self-respect of the country
The Chief Minister said that Vande Mataram awakened the sleeping pride of India and turned the freedom movement into a mass movement . Countless heroes like Bhagat Singh , Sukhdev , Rajguru , Chandrashekhar Azad sacrificed their lives while singing this song . Lakhs of freedom fighters, enduring the atrocities of jail, chanted Vande Mataram and the caravan of freedom moved forward . In the backdrop of the Quit India Movement of 1942 under the leadership of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, this song became the basic mantra of patriotism and independence . The slogans of Vande Mataram, Inquilab Zindabad and Jai Hind shocked the British rule and finally India became independent on August 15, 1947 .

**We have to keep the light of Vande Mataram shining brightly.
The Chief Minister said that after independence, the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, granted the status of national anthem to Vande Mataram in the year 1950.
He said that the progress of any nation depends on how much its citizens love their motherland . Even today, the spirit of Vande Mataram is as relevant as it was during the freedom movement . To maintain the unity and integrity of the country, we have to keep the flame of Vande Mataram always burning brightly .

**Chief Minister appeals to citizens to take five resolutions??
During the program, Chief Minister Shri Naib Singh Saini appealed to the people present to take five resolutions . Among these, India first, that is, the nation is above all in every work . Similarly, he appealed to adopt the path of comprehensive and balanced development through no appeasement . Also, under the third resolution, the Chief Minister said that justice and opportunity , respect, that is, equal respect should be given to every section of the society till the last person . At the same time, as an appeal for indigenous and innovation, the fourth resolution of the fast journey of self-reliance and also the fifth resolution of zero tolerance towards anti-national forces was mentioned .
The Chief Minister said that when these five resolutions are implemented in the life of every citizen , only then will the 150-year journey of Vande Mataram be fully meaningful . The Chief Minister said that under the able leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, every citizen should make united efforts to make India a developed nation .

**Pandit Subhash Ghosh gave the introduction of Vande Mataram.
During the program, renowned Indian classical musician Pandit Subhash Ghosh enthralled the audience with a soulful rendition of Vande Mataram . The Haryana Police contingent and school children also performed patriotic songs and dances, making the ceremony even more spectacular.
During this, Mrs. Banto Kataria , Mr. Madan Lal Goyal , Mr. Ritesh Goyal , Mr. Mandeep , Chairman of the Zip Council Mr. Makhan Singh , Deputy Commissioner Mr. Ajay Tomar , Additional Director (Administration) of the Information , Public Relations , Language and Culture Department Mrs. Varsha Khangwal , Superintendent of Police Mr. Ajay Shekhawat , Chairman of the Marketing Board Mr. Jasmer Rana and many dignitaries and officials were present .