It has been 69 years since India and Pakistan partitioned in 1947. In 1911, Rabindranath Tagore wrote ‘Jana Gana Mana’ not knowing it will be made a national anthem so the need to be politically correct wasn’t an issue. It was later adopted by the Constituent Assembly as the National Anthem of India on 24th January 1950.
The lyrics mentions:
Jana-Gan-Mana-Adhinayaka,
Jaya He
Bharata-Bhagya-Vidhata
Punjab-Sindhu-Gujarata-Maratha
Dravida-Utkala-Banga
Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga
Uchchhala-JaladthaTarangaTava Subha Name JageTava Subha Ashisa MageGahe Tava Jaya Gatha.Jana-Gana-Mangala Dayaka, Jaya HeBharata-Bhagya-Vidhata,Jaya He, Jaya He, Jaya He,Jaya, Jaya, Jaya, Jaya He!Going by the lyrics, there is nowhere a mention about ‘Kashmir’ in the anthem. One of the major reasons could be, that the lyrics were written ages ago when Kashmir was a princely state. It was only post-independence that the ruler of Kashmir decided that Kashmir is a part of India, rather than Pakistan. It is since then that the war is being waged on both the sides of the border. We have been witnessing the Indo-Pak War and it’s side-effects for the past 68 years, 11 months, 2 weeks and 1 day and it’s an ongoing battle between the two nations.
However, the question remains if it would be possible to include all the 29 states and seven union territories in the anthem? But for now, my question is, should we as Indians make it loud and clear that Kashmir is our homeland by including it in our national anthem? However, it will create a political stir because many of our States are not included in our national anthem. By including Kashmir in our National Anthem we send out a clear message to every country in the world that Kashmir was, is and always will be ours.
According to an article in Times Of India, some experts feel that every song has its cultural and political context and we should not tamper with it. Whereas others feel that national symbols reflect reality and they must, therefore, redesign it to accurately reflect the ethos of the country they represent. For example, post the disintegration of Soviet Union, Russia changed its national anthem and made it more specific.
The article further states that some favour the change of the national anthem but say that we should not stop only at adding the word ‘Kashmir’, it should also include the North Eastern region, and the new states to make countrymen feel that they belong to mainstream India. This will infuse the patriotic fervour in citizens which is crucial in forging national unity and harmony.
Looking at the current scenario, when China is blocking a tributary in the Brahmaputra in Tibet, whereas our political leaders are questioning the jawans to provide with ‘proofs’ about surgical strikes in Pakistan, don’t you all think that our soldiers owe this respect?
Our political leaders are giving effervescent speeches regarding Kashmir, and our soldiers are the ones losing their lives on the battlefield. A mention about Kashmir in our National Anthem adds a tribute to every Indian out there who vouches for the State. Is it a lot what we are asking for? The decision is in your court!
I hope we rise above our narrow, domestic political issues and stand united to send a strong message to Pakistan and to the rest of the world by at least including Kashmir in our national anthem.
