Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India, when faced with threats to its security and dignity, has shown that it can transform from a nation of service into one of strength, describing it as the embodiment of Goddess Durga while fighting terrorism.
Speaking at an event to mark 150 years of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, Modi, referring to the Pahalgam terrorist attack in April and subsequent ‘Operation Sindoor’, said, “Bharat Mata is Saraswati, Lakshmi and Durga. When the enemy tried to attack India’s security and honour through terrorism, the whole world saw that the new India, in service of humanity, also knows how to become Durga for the destruction of terror.”
He linked the sentiment behind ‘Vande Mataram’ to India’s civilisational idea of the nation as a mother. “Our Vedas have taught us that the nation is our mother and we are her children. We have worshipped our nation in this form since the Vedic period. The emotion that a nation can be a mother can be surprising for those who view nations as a geopolitical entity. But India is different. Here, a nation is also the one that gives birth and the one that nurtures. She is also a destroyer if a child is in danger. Because of this emotion of considering the nation as mother and a form of Shakti, mahila shakti was at the forefront in building the nation,” he said.
Tracing the song’s historical context, the Prime Minister said that when Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay composed ‘Vande Mataram’, India was under colonial oppression. “When Bankim Babu composed Vande Mataram, India was far removed from its golden era. Foreign invaders, their attacks and the exploitative policies of the British had left our country in the clutches of poverty and starvation. Even in those dire circumstances, Bankim Babu called for a prosperous India. Because he believed that no matter the difficulties, India could revive its golden era, and that is why he called for Vande Mataram,” Modi said.
He added, “During that period of slavery, the British justified their rule by portraying India as inferior and backward. The first line — ‘Sujalam, Suphalam’ — completely destroyed that propaganda. Vande Mataram not only became the song of independence, but also presented that prosperous, fruitful dream of what an independent India would be like. Vande Mataram also presented that dream to crores of countrymen.”
Modi quoted Rabindranath Tagore’s reflections on Bankim Chandra’s work, saying, “Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore once said that Bankim Chandra’s ‘Anandamath’ is not just a novel, but also a dream of an independent India. Every word written by Bankim Babu had deep meaning. This song was created during the time of slavery, but it is not limited to that time. The Vande Mataram song is relevant in every era.”
The Prime Minister said the creation of ‘Vande Mataram’ came from an emotional and philosophical understanding of India’s identity. “The concept of India is the ideological force behind it. The sense of one’s independent existence — only from the depths of the heart and the infinity of emotions does a composition like Vande Mataram emerge. In that period of slavery, Vande Mataram became the proclamation of this resolve. And that proclamation was of India’s independence. The chains of slavery would be broken by the hands of Mother India. And her children would become the makers of their own destiny,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi said the essence of the song lies in the idea of India as a nation that has endured and evolved through its history. “The main emotion of ‘Vande Mataram’ is Bharat, Maa Bharati. India as a nation emerged as a gem that endured every blow of the past and through cooperation also achieved immortality,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Modi described ‘Vande Mataram’ as “a mantra, energy, dream and resolve” that continues to inspire citizens. He inaugurated the year-long commemoration marking 150 years since the composition of the national song, which will continue until November 7, 2026. The programme included the release of a commemorative stamp and coin, the launch of a dedicated digital portal, and a mass singing of the full version of the song across the country.
Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, and Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta attended the ceremony.
‘Vande Mataram’, written in Sanskrit in 1876 and later included in ‘Anandamath’ (1882), became one of the key symbols of India’s freedom movement. The song, which personifies the motherland as a Goddess, is often translated as “Hail the Mother”.
The central government said the year-long commemoration will include cultural programmes, exhibitions, and educational activities highlighting the song’s legacy and its role in shaping India’s national consciousness.
