Re: [HumJanenge] Re: Shocking facts about our National Anthem !!!

Dear friends, This is what the Winkipedia says about the National Anthem: Historical significance The poem was composed in December 1911, precisely at the time of the Coronation Durbar of George V, and "Bharat Bhagya vidhata" and "Adhinayaka" is considered by some to be in praise of King George V and not God. The composition was first sung during a convention of the then loyalist Indian National Congress in Calcutta on Dec. 26, 1911.[2] It was sung on the second day of the convention, and the agenda of that day devoted itself to a loyal welcome of George V on his visit to India. The event was reported thus in the British Indian press: "The Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore sang a song composed by him specially to welcome the Emperor." (Statesman, Dec. 28, 1911) "The proceedings began with the singing by Rabindranath Tagore of a song specially composed by him in honour of the Emperor." (Englishman, Dec. 28, 1911) "When the proceedings of the Indian National Congress began on Wednesday 27th December 1911, a Bengali song in welcome of the Emperor was sung. A resolution welcoming the Emperor and Empress was also adopted unanimously." (Indian, Dec. 29, 1911) Proposed arguments Many historians aver that the newspaper reports cited above were misguided. The confusion arose in British Indian press since a different song, "Badshah Humara" written in Hindi by Rambhuj Chaudhary [3], was sung on the same occasion in praise of the monarch. The nationalist Indian press stated this difference of events clearly:- "The proceedings of the Congress party session started with a prayer in Bengali to praise God (song of benediction). This was followed by a resolution expressing loyalty to King George V. Then another song was sung welcoming King George V." (Amrita Bazar Patrika, Dec.28,1911) "The annual session of Congress began by singing a song composed by the great Bengali poet Ravindranath Tagore. Then a resolution expressing loyalty to King George V was passed. A song paying a heartfelt homage to King George V was then sung by a group of boys and girls." (The Bengalee, Dec. 28, 1911) Even the report of the annual session of the Indian National Congress of December 1911 stated this difference: "On the first day of 28th annual session of the Congress, proceedings started after singing Vande Mataram. On the second day the work began after singing a patriotic song by Babu Ravindranath Tagore. Messages from well wishers were then read and a resolution was passed expressing loyalty to King George V. Afterwards the song composed for welcoming King George V and Queen Mary was sung." On 10 November 1937 Tagore wrote a letter to Mr Pulin Bihari Sen about the controversy. That letter in Bengali can be found in Tagore's biography Ravindrajivani, volume II page 339 by Prabhatkumar Mukherjee. "A certain high official in His Majesty's service, who was also my friend, had requested that I write a song of felicitation towards the Emperor. The request simply amazed me. It caused a great stir in my heart. In response to that great mental turmoil, I pronounced the victory in Jana Gana Mana of that Bhagya Vidhata [ed. God of Destiny] of India who has from age after age held steadfast the reins of India's chariot through rise and fall, through the straight path and the curved. That Lord of Destiny, that Reader of the Collective Mind of India, that Perennial Guide, could never be George V, George VI, or any other George. Even my official friend understood this about the song. After all, even if his admiration for the crown was excessive, he was not lacking in simple common sense." Again in his letter of 19 March 1939 Tagore writes, "I should only insult myself if I cared to answer those who consider me capable of such unbounded stupidity as to sing in praise of George the Fourth or George the Fifth as the Eternal Charioteer leading the pilgrims on their journey through countless ages of the timeless history of mankind." (Purvasa, Phalgun, 1354, p738.) Moreover, Tagore was hailed as a patriot who wrote other songs too apart from "Jana gana Mana" lionizing the Indian independence movement.He renounced his knighthood in protest against the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. The Knighthood i.e. the title of 'Sir' was conferred on him by the same King George V after receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature for "Gitanjali" from the government of Sweden. Two of Tagore's more politically charged compositions, "Chitto Jetha Bhayshunyo" ("Where the Mind is Without Fear" :Gitanjali Poem#35) and "Ekla Chalo Re" ("If They Answer Not to Thy Call, Walk Alone"), gained mass appeal, with the latter favoured by Gandhiji and Netaji. [edit]Literary interpretations The proponents of the controversy stress the usage of the following words and phrases to claim that Jana Gana Mana was written for the King and the Queen of England- Stanza 1: (Indian) People wake up remembering your (King George V's) good name and ask for your blessings and they sing your glories. Stanza 2: Around your 'throne' (refers to the King) people of all religions come and give their love and anxiously wait to hear your kind words. Stanza 3: Praise to the 'King' for being 'the charioteer'. Stanza 4: Drowned in deep ignorance and suffering, poverty-stricken, this unconscious country waits for the wink of your eye and your mother's (the Queen's) true protection. Stanza 5: In your compassionate plans, the sleeping Bharat (India) will wake up. We bow down to your feet O Queen, and victory come to Rajeshwara (the King). Proposed arguments The supporters of the nationalist message of Jana Gana Mana claim that "King","Throne" and "chariot" refer to the Almighty (for e.g. Lord Krishna from Bhagvad Gita) who will lead India to freedom. "Ma" on the other hand is more likely to refer to "The Motherland" i.e. India, than King George V's mother- The Queen. In Amar Sonar Bangla, the national anthem of Bangladesh, Tagore has used the word "ma" and "mata" numerous times to refer to the motherland. In his deeply mystic book "Gitanjali" (an offering of songs to the God) Tagore has used the same metaphor of God as "King":- Poem #50:[4]  "I had gone a-begging from door to door in the village path when thy golden chariot appeared in the distance like a gorgeous dream and i wondered who was this King of all Kings!" Poem #51:[5]  "The King has come- but where are lights, where are wreaths? Where is the throne to seat him?..... Open the doors, let the conch-shells be sounded!" Poem #35:[6]  "Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high...Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake." The following phrases ignored by the proponents of the King George V controversy strengthen credibility of Jana Gana Mana's patriotic message:- Stanza 1:"Jana gana mangaldayako" The saving of all people waits in thy hand. Saving from what? Obviously British imperialism. Stanza 2: The call of the Lord (not the King or Queen)is announced in every Indian home continuously in their prayers. He brings "Oikyo" i.e. unity of the people to gain freedom. Stanza 3: "Jugo Dhabito Jaatri"(Pilgrims of the ages)are those who follow the path leading to god, not to some King or Queen of British Empire. Similarly "Biplabo" i.e. fierce revolution is our freedom struggle and "Shankhodhwoni"(conch-shell sound) in mythology announced the start of a "battle", here- nationalist struggle against the Empire. This is a path of sacrifice and only God can protect from fear and misery (Sankato Dukho). Stanza 4: Through nightmares and fears, our mother i.e. motherland protected us in her lap, not the Queen. Stanza 5"Nidrito Bharato Jaagey" (Sleeping India awakens). This phrase has been used at least once by every nationalist poet to awaken the masses for revolution against British Imperialism. The "Supreme King" makes a mockery of King George V in the sense that the protector of India is a king above all mortal kings. [edit]Regional aspects Another controversy is that only those provinces that were under British rule, i.e. Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, Maratha etc. were mentioned. None of the princely states - Kashmir, Rajasthan, Andhra, Mysore or Kerala - or the states in North-East India, which are integral parts of India now, were mentioned. Neither the Indian Ocean nor the Arabian Sea was included, since they were directly under Portuguese rule at that time. But opponents of this proposition claim that Tagore mentioned only the borders states of India to include complete India. Whether the princely states would form a part of a liberated Indian republic was a matter of debate even till Indian Independence. 'Dravida' includes the people from the south and 'Jolodhi' (Stanza 1) is Sanskrit for "seas and oceans". Even North-East which was under British rule or holy rivers apart from Ganges and Yamuna are not mentioned to keep the song in its rhythm. India has 28 states, 7 union territories. In 2005, there were calls to delete the word "Sindh" and substitute it with the word Kashmir. The argument was that Sindh was no longer a part of India, having become part of Pakistan as a result of the Partition of 1947. Opponents of this proposal hold that the word "Sindh" refers to the Indus and to Sindhi culture, and that Sindhi people are an integral part of India's cultural fabric. The Supreme Court of India declined to change the national anthem and the wording remains unchanged. --- On Wed, 28/12/11, Sarbajit Roy <sroy.mb@gmail.com> wrote: From: Sarbajit Roy <sroy.mb@gmail.com> Subject: [HumJanenge] Re: Shocking facts about our National Anthem !!! To: "maloy bhatt" <maloybhatt@gmail.com>, "humjanenge" <humjanenge@googlegroups.com> Date: Wednesday, 28 December, 2011, 7:08 PM Dear Mr Bhatt All I can do is pity you. You appear to be brain-washed by ancient Hindu Mahasabha propaganda. https://groups.google.com/group/HumJanenge/browse_thread/thread/b5f6dab758a3d404/f4835804afa767ef Firstly, they are both great songs Secondly, Vande Mataram is a stirring call to violent action when viewed in totality Thirdly, Tagore (Rabindranath) wrote the musical score for Vande Mataram Fourthly, the so-called tension between Rabindranath and Bankim was a "trolling' device to boost their respect statures (and sales). Fifthly, Jana Gana Mana is an even more violent and stirring hymn if you only cared to read ALL 5 VERSES and not only the first 5 LINES which you have grossly misunderstood and mistranslated. To reiterate "In 1911 the first verse of this hymn (with 2 subtle variations) was sung publicly, and in the open, on the occasion of visit of King George to India as a protest and reminder that though he may be the temporary Emperor of India, there is a greater Lord which rules the destiny of Bharat." Also, Vande Mataram is about "Mother" India, whereas JanaGanaMana is about "Father" God. In passing I may mention, that whereas it is convenient for UNPATRIOTIC IMPURE THOROUGHLY CORRUPT person like Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal etc to publicly flaunt  their love for "Mother India" and her symbols - Gandhi, Swami Vivekanand, they dont dare to display the true symbols of INDEPENDENT PURE UNCORRUPT Bharat because they know the inevitable consequences which will follow from the Father. Sarbajit On 12/28/11, maloy bhatt <maloybhatt@gmail.com> wrote: >  Subject:  *Shocking facts about our National Anthem !!! * > > Facts about "Jana Gana Mana" - Just a thought for the National Anthem! > > How well do you know about it? > I have always wondered who/what is the "adhinayak" and "bharat hagya > vidhata", > whose praise are we singing. I thought might be the Motherland India – our > Mahan Bharat! Our current National Anthem "Jana Gana Mana" is sung > throughout the country. > Did you know the following about our National Anthem; well, I didn't: - > To begin with, our National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka, was  written > by Rabindranath Tagore in honor of King George V and the Queen of England > when they visited India in 1919. To honor their visit Pandit Motilal Nehru > had the five stanzas included, which are in praise of the King and the > Queen. (And most of us think it is in the praise of our great motherland!!! > In the original Bengali verses only those provinces that were under > British rule, i.e. Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, Maratha etc. were mentioned. > None of  the  then princely states which are now an integral part of India, > like Kashmir, Rajasthan, Andhra, Mysore or Kerala find any place! Also > neither the Indian Ocean nor the Arabian Sea were included since they were > directly under Portuguese rule at that time. > The Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka implies that King George V is the lord of the > masses and Bharata Bhagya Vidhata is "the bestower of good fortune". > Following is a translation of the five stanzas that glorify the King: > First stanza: (Indian) People wake up remembering your good name and ask > for your blessings and they sing your glories. (Tava shubha name jaage;tava > shubha aashish maage, gaaye tava jaya gaatha) > Second stanza: Around your throne people of all religions come and give > their love and anxiously wait to hear your kind words. > Third stanza: Praise to the King for being the charioteer, for leading the > ancient travelers beyond misery. > Fourth stanza: Drowned in the deep ignorance and suffering, > poverty-stricken, unconscious country? Waiting for the wink of your eye and > your mother's (the Queen's) true protection. > Fifth stanza: In your compassionate plans, the sleeping Bharat (India) will > wake up. We bow down to your feet O' Queen, and glory to Rajeshwara (the > King). > > This whole poem does not indicate any love for the Motherland but depicts > a  bleak picture. When you sing Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka, whom are you > glorifying? Certainly not the Motherland. Is it God? The poem does not > indicate that. It is time now to understand the original purpose and the > implication of this, rather than blindly sing as has been done over the > past fifty years. > Nehru chose the present national anthem as opposed to Vande Mataram because > he thought that it would be easier for the  band to play!!! It was an > absurd reason but Today for that matter bands  have  advanced and they can > very well play any music. So they can as well play Vande Mataram, which is > a far better composition in praise of our dear Motherland - India.Wake up, > it's high time! > > Shouldn't Vande Mataram be our  National Anthem???????? >