Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam’s Chief Minister—who has long been through the BJP’s “washing machine”—now stands as an aggressive right-wing leader. He often makes derogatory remarks about the Muslim community, which continues to face systematic neglect in Assam.
Recently, during a Congress meeting in Assam, one Congress worker sang Amar Sonar Bangla. Sarma promptly directed the police to file an FIR against the person for singing what he called “the national anthem of Bangladesh.”
It seems Sarma knows little about the history of this song, the circumstances in which it was composed, or its deep connection with India’s freedom movement. It is also worth noting that only the first ten lines of the original Amar Sonar Bangla were adopted as the national anthem of Bangladesh.
When the British, in keeping with their notorious “divide and rule” policy, partitioned Bengal in 1905 into East and West Bengal—allegedly for administrative reasons—the real motive was to divide Indians along religious lines. Hindus were in the majority in western Bengal, while Muslims dominated the east. Indians opposed this partition with great passion and unity. It was during this time that Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore composed Amar Sonar Bangla to celebrate Bengali pride and protest the division of Bengal. The song soon became the anthem of the anti-partition movement, which eventually forced the British to reverse their decision.
An interesting feature of this period was the rakhi-tying campaign, launched to strengthen Hindu-Muslim unity and solidarity against Bengal’s partition.
After the tragic Partition of India, East Bengal became part of Pakistan as East Pakistan, while West Punjab went to West Pakistan. Political and economic power remained concentrated in West Pakistan, leaving East Pakistanis—mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims—feeling marginalized. The imposition of Urdu as Pakistan’s national language deepened the sense of alienation among Bengalis. The demand for a separate nation grew stronger under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
During this liberation struggle, Amar Sonar Bangla served as the anthem of the movement. Tagore was deeply revered in East Pakistan. With India’s support under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s leadership and the valor of the Mukti Bahini, Bangladesh was born in 1971. The first ten lines of Amar Sonar Bangla were chosen as the national anthem of the new nation. A journalist friend once told me that during a visit to meet a top Bangladeshi leader, he was surprised to see Tagore’s portrait prominently displayed in the leader’s waiting room.
It is a matter of pride that the national anthems of two neighboring countries were composed by the same poet. The tune of Amar Sonar Bangla is based on Rabindra Sangeet and was musically arranged by the composer Samar Das. The song holds twofold significance: it was a central anthem against the British policy of divide and rule, and its first ten lines became Bangladesh’s national anthem. Far from being “anti-national,” singing this song honors Tagore’s legacy and India’s freedom struggle.
Tagore’s other immortal contribution, Jana Gana Mana, was chosen as India’s national anthem. India also has a national song—Vande Mataram. Some right-wing groups have long demanded that the entire Vande Mataram be adopted as the national anthem. The issue is that beyond the first two verses, the song invokes Hindu religious imagery and portrays the nation as the goddess Durga—contradicting the secular vision of India’s national movement. Moreover, Vande Mataram is part of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s novel Anandamath, which depicts a rebellion against a Muslim ruler, culminating ironically in the establishment of British rule.
When the Congress-led nationalist movement had to choose a national song, a special committee considered three options: Sare Jahan Se Achha by Muhammad Iqbal, Vande Mataram, and Jana Gana Mana. Sare Jahan Se Achha was dropped because its author, Iqbal, later migrated to Pakistan. Vande Mataram was retained in an abridged form as the national song, while Jana Gana Mana was adopted as the national anthem for its secular and inclusive spirit.
Right-wing critics have falsely claimed that Jana Gana Mana was composed in praise of King George V. This misunderstanding arose from misleading colonial media reports. During an event welcoming the annulment of Bengal’s partition, two songs were sung—one by Ramanuja Chaudhary in praise of the King, and the other, Jana Gana Mana. The Anglo-Indian press erroneously reported that Tagore’s song was meant for George V.
Another myth is that the word Adhinayak in the anthem refers to the King. Tagore clarified that Adhinayak refers to “the eternal charioteer of humanity’s destiny”—a divine force guiding humankind through the ages, not any monarch named George.
Scholars and contemporary media who understood Tagore’s thought have interpreted the anthem correctly. Jana Gana Mana truly reflects India’s soul. Yet, right-wing forces continue to privilege Vande Mataram over the national anthem, demanding its complete recitation. I still remember the communal violence in Mumbai in 1992–93—when peace marches were heckled by mobs shouting, “If you want to live in this country, you must say Vande Mataram!”
Thankfully, India’s song committee struck the right balance between Jana Gana Mana and Vande Mataram. But figures like Sarma still look for excuses to instill fear and division. They remain ignorant of the rich, unifying legacy from which songs like Amar Sonar Bangla emerged.
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*The author formerly taught at IIT Mumbai and is President, Centre for Study of Society and Secularism
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