PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Bharatiya Janata Party will mark 150 years of the national song Vande Mataram across Uttarakhand with public participation from November 7 to November 26. State party president Mahendra Bhatt said that educational and government institutions, along with assembly-level units, will conduct collective recitation of Vande Mataram in its original form. Bhatt has appointed State general secretary Deepti Rawat as coordinator for the campaign. Position holder Gaurav Pandey and former State president of the Yuva Morcha, Shashank Rawat, will assist as co-coordinators. The campaign aligns with the central government’s plan to commemorate 150 years of Vande Mataram, recognising its role during the freedom movement. Bhatt said that Vande Mataram emerged as a symbol of nationalism, unity and resistance against British rule, especially during protests against the Partition of Bengal. He stated that the slogan influenced figures such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bhagat Singh and Subhash Chandra Bose. He added that the campaign will cover government institutions, district party offices and organisational events. The programme titled Vande Mataram @150 will begin on November 7. The chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will attend a collective recitation at Police Lines, Dehradun in Garhwal division. On the same day in Kumaon, State president Mahendra Bhatt will take part in a recitation at MBPG College in Haldwani. From November 8, district panchayats, block headquarters, municipal bodies and gram panchayats will conduct readings of Vande Mataram and take a Swadeshi pledge. Schools and colleges will conduct similar events until Constitution Day on November 26. District headquarters will also host police band performances of Vande Mataram and other patriotic songs. Bhatt said that the BJP will encourage social and cultural organisations to hold events as part of the campaign. Digital engagement and social media outreach will be used to increase participation. From November 8–15, district-level collective recitation and meetings will be held. Each assembly segment will hold an event at a college under the leadership of MPs and MLAs.
District centres will host exhibitions on Vande Mataram, while seminars will be organised on Anandamath and the historical and literary context of the song. Schools and colleges will hold competitions including essays, painting and poetry on Vande Mataram @150 and the freedom movement. Youths and influencers will be encouraged to create 30-second reels or videos of recital or singing of Vande Mataram, he said.
