Bhubaneswar, 07 November (H.S.): Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday extended his greetings to the people on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of ‘Vande Mataram’, describing the iconic national song as a symbol of Indian national consciousness, cultural heritage and the spirit of ‘Nation First’.

In a social media post, Majhi recalled that the timeless composition by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was written on November 7, 1875, and inspired millions of freedom fighters to dedicate themselves to the cause of India's independence.

He said that over the past 150 years, ‘Vande Mataram’ has remained a strong pillar of India's cultural heritage, national unity and integrity.

The Chief Minister also observed that attempts had been made in the past to diminish the song's true significance due to narrow political interests and appeasement politics, which, he said, amounted to an injustice to national pride.

Highlighting the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Majhi said India was reclaiming its cultural pride by shedding symbols of colonial subjugation. He added that, guided by the vision of the ‘Panch Pran’, ‘Vande Mataram’ had once again received the highest respect across the country and emerged as a symbol of the resolve to build a developed India.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister called upon people to collectively dedicate themselves to the progress and service of the motherland and work towards taking India to new heights on the global stage.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda