NEW DELHI: All India Trinamool Congress MP Sugata Roy on Monday interrupted Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address on Vande Mataram in the Lok Sabha over the choice of words he used to refer to the composer of the national song, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.During his speech, the Prime Minister, on one occasion, referred to Bankim Chandra Chatterjee as “Bankim Da.” Roy immediately objected to the remark and said that PM Modi should use “Bankim Babu” instead.PM Modi quickly corrected himself and said, “I will say Bankim Babu. Thank you, I respect your sentiments.”“Can I call you dada, or is that also an issue?” he added.Da or Babu?In the Bengali language, “Da” is the short form of “dada,” meaning elder brother. It is also used informally for someone older in a friendly way.On the other hand, “Babu” is a more formal and respectable suffix used for educated, respected gentlemen. At times, it is also used sarcastically to refer to the Bhadralok Bengalis who adapted to British culture.In the 10-hour discussion on Vande Mataram in Parliament, PM Modi recounted how Vande Mataram had become synonymous with India’s struggle against colonial rule.“When they divided Bengal in 1905, Vande Mataram stood like a rock,” he said, adding that “Vande Mataram also showed India the path to self-reliance. Back then, from matchboxes to large ships, ‘Vande Mataram’ was written as a tradition. It became a means to challenge foreign companies and emerged as a slogan of the Swadeshi movement.”He described the song as something far deeper than a political chant. “Vande Mataram was not just a mantra for political independence. It was not limited to our independence; it was way beyond that. The freedom movement was a war to free our motherland from the clutches of slavery… During our Vedas, it was said: This land is my mother, and I am the son of the soil.”PM Modi also invoked Mahatma Gandhi, telling the House, “In the weekly Indian Opinion on 2 December 1905, Mahatma Gandhi wrote that the song Vande Mataram, composed by Bankim Chandra, had become famous across Bengal… He wrote that this song was so popular it had become like our national anthem, carrying deeper emotions and more melody than the national songs of other countries.”The Prime Minister asked why the song suffered “injustice” in the last century. “Vande Mataram was so great, then why did injustice happen to it in the last century? Why was there betrayal with Vande Mataram? Which were those powers whose wishes overshadowed the emotions of Mahatma Gandhi?” he said, arguing that Congress’ compromises ultimately fed into the conditions that led to Partition. “Congress compromised on Vande Mataram and, as a result, had to accept the decision of the country’s Partition.”PM Modi urged Parliament to treat the occasion as a moment of national reaffirmation. “Some great people of India dreamed of a free India, and today’s generation dreams of a prosperous India. The inspiration for both is Vande Mataram,” he said, adding that India must become “Aatmanirbhar and Viksit by 2047.”
