Ujjain, Sep 18 (IANS) Lyricist Manoj Muntashir on Friday criticised the practice of limiting 'Vande Mataram' to only two stanzas and took a strong jibe at former Prime Minister late Jawaharlal Nehru and the Congress while addressing the Youth Dharma Sansad in Ujjain.
The three-day Youth Dharma Sansad is being organised from September 17 to 19.
On the second day, a lecture session was held at Geeta Bhawan.
The event was attended by around 1,700 young students from across the country.
Addressing the gathering for about 20 minutes, Muntashir spoke on dharma, education, family, culture and the teachings of Swami Vivekananda.
Referring to the Ramayana and Mahabharata, the lyricist urged the youth to stay connected with their cultural roots.
On Vande Mataram, Muntashir said he had seen the Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi stop a performance of the song on August 15 because Nehru had reportedly decided in 1936 that only two stanzas should be sung and the remaining four should not be sung.
"Nehru or anyone else -- who are they to censor our culture?" the lyricist asked.
He said that Vande Mataram was first sung at the Congress session in 1896 and continued to be sung in full until 1937, when objections led to the removal of four stanzas.
He questioned the logic of raising "Hindu-Muslim bhai-bhai" slogans while restricting the national song.
Muntashir also expressed concern over the breakdown of families, saying brothers now meet only once in two or three years, and sometimes only in court.
He appealed to the youth to protect family and culture, warning that ancient civilisations such as the Roman, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Greek and Persian had perished because they failed to safeguard their culture, literature and history.
He said that during the Covid-19 period, India's vaccine carried the message "Sarve Santu Niramaya" (May all beings be free from disease).
Emphasising national identity, Muntashir added that people should introduce themselves first as Indians and then mention their region: "Country first, direction later" to advocate for a unified national identity over regional divisions.
His core argument is that people should prioritise identifying as Indians first, before highlighting whether they are from the North, South, East, or West.
He expressed confidence that India's future is safe in the hands of the youth, saying that as long as Gen Z walks the path of dharma, no harm can come to the nation.
--IANS
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