Nation Salutes Freedom Fighters with Bankim's Poem

New Delhi, Sep 7 (UNI) Calling it 100 years to the day when Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's poem became a war cry against the communal division of Bengal and against British imperialism, the India of ''a million mutinies'' stood up today, though a little divided, in salute to those who earned it freedom from colonial control.

Politicians joined school children, government officials and office goers for collective singing of Vande Mataram at commemorative functions as the song whipped up a mood of patriotism in the capital and across the rest of the country.

TV stations played the song intermittently. Many channels also gave live coverage to commemorative functions organised by political parties, dubbed as ''competitive patriotism'' by critics.

Though divided on the question whether the song was in salutation to the motherland or Hindu gods, members of the minority communities made conspicuous attendance, in skull caps and turbans, at functions organised by political parties.

Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh, who had issued directives to celebrate the day, joined school children in Karol Bagh where a collective singing of Vande Mataram was organised.

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee participated in a function at the BJP headquarters. Irrespective of faith, ''everyone should sing the song together,'' he said while regretting that the song had sparked a controversy.

The Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti began organising a series of commemorative programmes with an inter-school singing competition at Gandhi Smriti on Tees January Marg. The Samiti has instituted a Vande Mataram rolling trophy for the event.

Various other parties and socio-political bodies organised collective singing of the song in the capital. Special functions were held in many schools.

Government employees and ministers joined in a collective singing of the song at the Delhi Secretariat.

UNI VN VD HS1530