The ongoing parliamentary debate on Vande Mataram has been framed around a significant milestone — the 150th anniversary of the song’s first publication in 1875. To commemorate the occasion, Parliament scheduled a special discussion: a ten-hour session in the Lok Sabha on 8 December 2025 and a corresponding debate in the Rajya Sabha the next day. The purpose of this rare, extended sitting is not merely ceremonial. It is meant to revisit the song’s historic journey, its cultural weight, its place in India’s freedom movement, and its relevance in a rapidly changing national landscape.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the debate at noon on December 8, setting its tenor and direction. In his address, he described Vande Mataram as far more than a patriotic composition — calling it a civilizational force that united Indians during colonial rule and continues to embody the idea of national unity. He used the moment to critique what he termed a legacy of “appeasement,” pointing to the 1937 decision to accept only select stanzas of the original composition under political pressure. Modi framed this as a historical compromise that diluted the song’s spirit, and urged that the ideals embedded in Vande Mataram should inspire India’s march toward “Viksit Bharat 2047.”