The Indian Muslim And Vande Mataram.
By Rummuser. Filed in Patriotism, People, Relationships, Religion |Tags: Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind, National Anthem, Ulema, Vande Mataram
A totally unnecessary and bound-to-create-problems, controversy has been created by the Muslim Religious Leadership of India.
I take my readers to my post on India’s National Anthem. I had clearly stated my preference for the original National Anthem called Vande Mataram, though I have whole heartedly accepted the de facto current one.
Out of the blue, the Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind (Organization of Muslim Scholars Of India) passed a resolution asking members of the Indian Muslim community not to recite ‘Vande Mataram’ on the grounds that some verses of the national song are against the tenets of Islam. What is objectionable to the Ulema is that parts of the National Song, worships Mother India. This is not really worshipping as in a religious sense, but giving it very high honour by treating it on par with one’s mother. An emotional poet’s way of expressing his love for his country. Islam forbids worship of anything other than Allah. Ergo, Vandemataram is anti Islamic.
The Hindu right ever looking for opportunities to raise the anti Muslim temperature in India has got exactly what they wanted. Could not the Ulema have seen this outcome. Why make an issue at all of it?
While not quite the same as the original, our own Oscar winning Music Director, Rehman, a Muslim composed and sang Vande Mataram, which can be seen here. Sorry I am unable to embed it here as it has been disabled. I can never hear enough of this song and everytime I see the video, and hear the song, I get goose pimples. Silly me?
The Original which is the version sung by most of us is this one.
Many noted Indian Muslims have taken objection to this totally unnecessary development, but the damage has been done. Two such statements will show the seriousness of the issue. One from a Union Minister and the other from one of India’s best known poets, filmdom’s lyricist and script writer.
The India that I am proud of to live in produces some amazing contrasts. Let me not do a job much better done by professionals. Please read this amazing story.
Sometimes I wonder whether the Muslim Ulema know what they are doing by their obscurantism! I wonder what Gaelikaa will have to say about this. She lives in one of India’s most famous cities, Lucknow,the old capital of Awadh, a Mughal Realm with a sizeable Muslim population. She is objective enough for being Irish on the one hand and married to a Hindu Indian on the other and living in such a city.
Sunday, November 8th 2009 at 12:33 |
Interesting. Unfortunately people do act like that…we have more than our share of such nonsense here in the U.S. too.
Sunday, November 8th 2009 at 13:49 |
i don’t think that there is something wrong in vande mataram for muslims, its all about the India what we call bharat mata.
Sunday, November 8th 2009 at 18:59 |
The issue of taking prayer out of schools here in the US is still going on. Instead of stating, “if you don’t want to pray or hear the prayer, just step outside the classroom”, they made it so that no one can participate and show their respect. Sometimes I feel that people who push for what they want and rationalize their decisions are just wanting control, they really don’t care about others, it’s just a way to control. Sort of like Hitler and his group. Good post and I empathize with you. Sometimes it’s so hard to understand and accept why people want to take away traditions that mean a lot to me and others, for what seems an unnecessary move. Hope you’re having one of your beautiful Sundays, though, with the time difference, you’re just about to close it out.
Rummuser Reply:
November 9th, 2009 at 20:48
Judy, what you need to understand about India is that Muslims form about 14% of our population. That is over 140 Million people most of whom are illiterate in the modern sense, poor and totally dependent on their religion for emotional and perhaps even physical sustenance. The problem is not with them. The problem is with the Muslim clergy which would rather keep the vast majority of them like this for their own nefarious needs.
Monday, November 9th 2009 at 10:51 |
It is sad indeed. It reminds me of the time some pro-British elements in Northern Ireland objected to the national anthem of Ireland, saying it contained seeds of hatred against our former colonial masters. Our Muslim friends Afzal and Sameera visited us yesterday and we had a terrific time with them. This is just a political football between some immature community leaders. Vande Mataram is a poem and expresses love for a country as a metaphor for mother or goddess worship. Why do they make an issue out of these things?
Rummuser Reply:
November 9th, 2009 at 20:45
Gaelikaa, I am getting increasingly disillusioned with the educated Indian Muslims. Why don’t they do what the examples that I have given in my post do enmasse and shut up these obscurantists? Why don’t we hear the kind of shrill anti Hinduism that people like Arundathi Roy raise from a more Muslims? It is not as though there are no more Saba Naqvis and MJ Akbars. Where are all the other non Sarkari Muslims to condemn this?
Monday, November 9th 2009 at 14:00 |
Ramana, to go off at a slight tangent: Why have national anthems at all? One of your tags is ‘patriotism’ a close neighbour of ‘nationalism’, both of which only serve to be divisive. If people feel the need to sing (incidentally I never do) why not let us all sing from the SAME hymn sheet? Call me naive … I most certainly do – in this context.
I never forget being invited for the first time (in the country of my birth) to a British Cinema. Situated right next to one of the NAAFI’s superstores stocked with such delicacies as HP sauce, Marmite and baked beans so army personnel and their families stationed abroad wouldn’t get homesick. As it happens the film was Monty Python’s “Life of Brian” – if that, as an introduction to the way of the British, isn’t funny I don’t know what is. So there I was – my very young self amongst a gaggle of newly found English friends – when the British Anthem started playing before the curtain went up. Nobody had warned me of this. And everybody got up from their seats – standing in salute to the Queen, the Empire, Monty Python? Who knows. What’s a foreigner in her own country to do? Do I remain seated? Do I stand up and feel a fraud? I swear there is a definite hole in the etiquette books as to how to handle a baffling situation like that. What did I do? Dont’ ask.
U
Rummuser Reply:
November 9th, 2009 at 20:40
Ursula, I am glad that you have asked that question. I belong to that generation that was born just before India won its Independence from colonial rule and grew up in an atmosphere of great joy and patriotism for having done so. I think that unless you have undergone that experience of being ruled by a foreign power and becoming independent, you cannot understand the narrow vision of nationalism as against your global vision. I ache when India suffers any kind of set back and celebrate the smallest of victories that it registers. You are not naive, I think that you are just a generation or two, too early to think that all humanity will accept that point of view. I have and continue to stand to attention when our national anthem is played in theaters and other places, even if no one else is around to applaud me.
Monday, November 9th 2009 at 17:00 |
As per me the song is not favoring any particular religion rather the poet has devoted the song to the nation.the community should not initiate any kind of controversies that may affect the peace of the nation.
Tuesday, November 10th 2009 at 12:48 |
I read somewhere that though India has Jana Gana Mana as their anthem, they have Vande Mataram also as official national ‘song’. Besides, I think there was a controversy when Rahman’s album came out. This is not a new concept or movement, though in the light of the fact that a famous Yoga teacher is using Vande Mataram as morning prayer, it has got more air this time.
Tuesday, November 10th 2009 at 13:35 |
Yes this is the fact India is facing firstly it was a place of all religions but now a days there is always a controversy between Hindus and Muslims my message they should think this is our country and we just have to focus on the welfare of our country not our religion.
Thursday, November 12th 2009 at 04:45 |
Sir,
I really appreciate your opinion. As an Indian muslim, I admit that J-U-H’s comment on VM was uncalled for and completely irrelevant. The controversy only ended up giving a fresh whiff of life to right wing rabble-rousers. The organization under current leadership seems more interested in politics, a fact which should not be ignored while analyzing the nature of the problem.
Coming to next point you have raised. A lot of intellectuals question the silence of muslim community. It is being assumed that Indian muslim community supports such absurdities and that’s why never cares to speak against them. The truth is, muslims are too engrossed in their daily bread and butter struggles. If you leave out the metropolitan cities, there is hardly any muslim middle class. However, there are visible signs of change.
Muslims don’t have any problem if anyone recites VM. The problem arises when Hindutva elements try to force it upon people. I guess majority of Hindus too don’t favor compulsory recitation of VM or for that matter any other patriotic song.
Regards
Salman
Rummuser Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 10:25
Hi Salman, nice to have you back visiting and commenting on my blog. Thank you for the vote of confidence.
Monday, November 23rd 2009 at 12:53 |
Weird but true combination we all Indians are very proud of our country and vande mataram is our national song so we love to sing it either Hindu or Muslim apart from this we proud to be Indians.
Tuesday, November 24th 2009 at 11:54 |
hey first of all i want to correct y we say Indian Muslim they are only Indians and and vande mataram is for every Indian….i always say this…..will be back for more.
Sunday, December 6th 2009 at 19:43 |
really enlightening post, I will be coming back to this blog now and again to see more material of this quality!! btw does anyone know where i can find a spotify invite?