Mangalore, Jan 30 – Senior Supreme Court advocate Sanjay Hegde appealed on Gandhi Jayanti for the song Vaisnava Jana To to be recognised as a national prayer alongside the anthem Jana Gana Mana and the national song Vande Mataram.
The request was made during a B V Kakkilaya inspired lecture organised by Bangalore's Hosatu newspaper, the M S Krishnan Memorial Society, the Mangalore Samadarshi platform and the Department of Political Science of Karnataka University. The event took place at Ravindra Kala Bhavan of Hampi College in Mangalore.
Hegde argued that the constitutional protection afforded to the anthem and the national song should extend to Vaisnava Jana To without imposing any order, penalty or compulsory standing. He suggested following the gentle method adopted in 1950 for Vande Mataram, allowing anyone who wishes to sing the prayer to do so voluntarily.
Analyzing the lyrics, he linked them to constitutional guarantees of fraternity, freedom of expression, equality, secularism, respect for women, scientific temper, humanity and the right to question. He warned that forced singing contradicts democratic values and that forced prayer amounts to religious imposition.
Addressing objections that the song mentions Rama, Hegde noted that for more than a century people of all faiths have sung it without protest. He recalled the 15th century poet Narasimha Mehta of Junagadh, who faced ostracism for praising the same ideals, and Mahatma Gandhi who included the song in his final prayer meeting together with verses from the Quran and Christian hymns.
Hegde contrasted the inclusive geography of Jana Gana Mana, which spans Punjab to Sindhu and Dravida to Uttara, with the limited use of Vande Mataram in national ceremonies. He reminded readers that on Jan 24 1950 India’s first President Rajendra Prasad declared Jana Gana Mana the national anthem and affirmed equal respect for Vande Mataram.
Concluding, Hegde urged that Vaisnava Jana To receive formal acknowledgement as a national prayer, allowing citizens to learn its meaning in every language and to sing it of their own accord.
Image: varthabharati.in
📰 Source: Vartha Bharati DK