India Can Be Both ‘Service and Strength’: PM Modi at 150 Years of ‘Vande Mataram’ Celebration

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that when faced with threats to its security and dignity, India has shown its ability to transform from a nation of service into one of strength — invoking the image of Goddess Durga while fighting terrorism.

Speaking at an event marking 150 years of the national song Vande Mataram at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, Modi 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.”

Referring to the Pahalgam terror attack in April and subsequent Operation Sindoor, he said this spirit reflects the essence of Vande Mataram, which portrays the nation as both nurturing and powerful.

‘Nation as Mother — A Civilisational Idea’

Modi linked the sentiment behind Vande Mataram to India’s ancient worldview. “Our Vedas have taught us that the nation is our mother and we are her children. Those who see nations merely as geopolitical entities may not understand this emotion. But in India, the nation is one that gives birth, nurtures, and even destroys evil when her children are in danger,” he said.

He added that this idea of the nation as Shakti placed women at the forefront of India’s nation-building.

The Song that Inspired a Nation

Tracing the origins of Vande Mataram, Modi said Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote the song during colonial oppression as a call to reawaken India’s spirit. “Even in the clutches of poverty and starvation, Bankim Babu called for a prosperous India. He believed India could regain its golden era,” the Prime Minister said.

He noted that the opening lines — Sujalam, Suphalam — countered colonial propaganda that painted India as inferior and impoverished. “Vande Mataram not only became the anthem of independence but also a vision for a free, prosperous India,” he said.

Quoting Rabindranath Tagore, Modi added: “Gurudev said Bankim Chandra’s Anandamath is not just a novel but a dream of an independent India. Every word written by Bankim Babu carried deep meaning.”

‘A Timeless Song, A Living Resolve’

Modi described Vande Mataram as more than a song — a philosophical expression of India’s identity. “It came from an emotional and ideological understanding of India’s existence. In the time of slavery, it became a proclamation of India’s resolve to be free,” he said.

“The essence of Vande Mataram lies in Maa Bharati — India as a gem that has endured every blow and achieved immortality through cooperation,” he added.

150 Years of Vande Mataram

Earlier in the day, Modi called Vande Mataram “a mantra, an energy, a dream, and a resolve” that continues to inspire generations. He launched a year-long commemoration of the song’s 150th anniversary, which will continue until November 7, 2026.

The event featured the release of a commemorative stamp and coin, the launch of a digital portal, and a nationwide mass singing of the song.

Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Delhi lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, and Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta were present at the ceremony.

Written in Sanskrit in 1876 and later included in Anandamath (1882), Vande Mataram became one of the most powerful symbols of India’s freedom movement, personifying the motherland as a goddess.

The government said the year-long observance will include cultural programmes, exhibitions, and educational initiatives celebrating the song’s enduring legacy in shaping India’s national consciousness.