[Reader-list] Ameen Sayani on national anthem -2

[Ravikant]

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E. AN URGENT NEED FOR AN OFFICIAL ANTHEM WAS FELT WHEN THE INDIAN DELEGATION 
WAS TO ATTEND THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN NEW YORK IN 1947.  THE 
DELEGATION FORTUNATELY HAD A RECORDED RENDERING OF “JANAGANAMANA”, WHICH WAS 
HANDED OVER FOR ORCHESTRATION.  THE TUNE AND THE ORCHESTRAL ARRANGEMENT WERE 
IMMENSELY LIKED BY ALL.
 
That was Janaganamana’s first official step towards being finalized as our 
Anthem – and its selection was primarily because of the highly impressive 
and “singable” TUNE.

F.ON JANUARY 24, 1950, THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY FORMALLY ADOPTED JANAGANAMANA  
AS INDIA’S NATIONAL ANTHEM, “SUBJECT TO SUCH ALTERATIONS IN THE WORDS AS THE 
GOVERNMENT MAY AUTHORISE AS OCCASION ARISES.”

Has that occasion not already arisen ?  Isn’t the state of India again causing 
us the same anxiety that Tagore had sensed in 1939 about “the future of the 
millions who, with all their peaceful traditions, are being subjected to 
hunger, disease, exploitations foreign and indigenous, and the seething 
discontents of communalism”? (Add to this Pope Benedict’s recent X’mas 
message for the whole world : “It is shameful that, in this age of plenty and 
unbridled consumerism, people continue to die of hunger and thirst, disease 
and poverty”.)

BUT, EVEN  WITH  ALL  THESE FACTS  TO STRENGTHEN OUR SPIRITS, WE MUST MOVE 
WITH UTMOST CAUTION IN OUR SEARCH FOR A NEW ANTHEM.  OUR MOST IMPORTANT TASK 
IS TO CLARIFY THE PARAMETERS :

1.“Janaganamana” has ruled our hearts for over 60 years, and the first tribute 
we must pay to Tagore’s great, multi-faceted creative genius is to RETAIN ITS 
MAGNIFICIENT TUNE AND RHYTHM.

2.The song or poem that we choose as the basis of another Anthem need not be a 
prayer, nor contain any symbolic geographic descriptions.  Neither need it be 
a song that claims that “India is the best in the world” – which it 
definitely isn’t at the moment.  IT SHOULD BE A SONG THAT POINTS TO THE NORMS 
THAT INDIA SHOULD ACHIEVE IN ORDER TO BECOME GREAT, STRONG AND PROGRESSIVE.

3.If possible, THE GERMS OF THE NEW ANTHEM SHOULD BE SOUGHT IN A POEM OR SONG 
THAT TAGORE HAD HIMSELF PENNED (in Bengali or in English), AND TO THAT COULD 
BE ADDED THE MAIN INSPIRING ELEMENTS TAKEN FROM ALL OUR VENERATED NATIONAL 
SONGS.

4.All these elevating elements could then be handed over to a set of eminent 
Hindi-Urdu poets and lyricists, TO FIT INTO THE JANAGANAMANA TUNE AND RHYTHM 
AND MOULD INTO A DYNAMIC, PURPOSEFUL, STIRRING ANTHEM IN SIMPLE HINDUSTANI 
THAT ALL INDIANS COULD UNDERSTAND, ACCEPT AND BE INSPIRED BY.
 
5.And once such an Anthem is ready, and approved by all sections of the 
nation, IT MUST THEN ALSO BE TRANSLATED/ADAPTED – LINE TO LINE, AND IN THE 



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“JANAGANAMANA” TUNE AND METRE – INTO ALL THE STATE LANGUAGES OF INDIA.  This 
will not only be a form of salute to all our state languages, but will also 
further encourage  those states to affectionately accept the National 
Language as a worthy “elder sister”.

BUT IS THERE SUCH AN IDEAL POEM OR SONG THAT COULD FORM THE HONOURABLE BASE 
FOR A NEW ANTHEM ? LET’S BEGIN THE HUNT :
											

A.There is already a song in Hindustani, set to the Janaganamana tune. When 
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s dynamic Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army) 
selected Janaganamana as its Anthem, Bose had a Hindustani rendering done, 
because he rightly felt that Hind’s Anthem should be in Hindi, and easily 
understood by everyone all over India. The opening words were: “Shubh Sukh 
Chain Ki Varsha Barsay”. The only time I had heard the rendering was as a 
schoolboy in 1945, and I finally received the words only recently from none 
other than INA’s legendary Captain Lakshmi (currently convalescing in Kanpur) 
through her daughter Subhashini ! Here is the full song in three antras:

Shubh sukh chain ki varsha barsay, Bhaarat bhaagya hai jaaga!
Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, Maratha, Draavid, Utkal, Banga –
Chanchal saagar, Vindhya, Himalay, neela Yamuna Ganga –
Teray nit gun gaayen, tujhsay jeevan paayen, 
Sab jan paayen aasha ! 
Sooraj ban kar jag mein chamkay, Bhaarat naam subhaaga ! 
Jai ho, jai ho, jai ho – Jai-jai-jai-jai-ho !!
									
Sab kay dil mein preet basaaye teri meethi baani –
Har soobay kay rehnay waalay, har mazhab kay praani –
Sab bhayd aur farq mitaakay, sab goad mein teri aakay,
Goondhein prem ki maala!
Sooraj ban kar jag mein chamkay, Bhaarat naam subhaaga !
Jai ho, jai ho, jai ho – Jai-jai-jai-jai-ho !! 

Subah saberay pankh pakheru teray hi gun gaayen – 
Baas bhari bharpoor hawaayen jeevan mein ritu laayen –
Sab milkar Hind pukaaray, “Jai Aazaad Hind” kay naaray,
Pyaara desh hamaara !
Sooraj ban kar jag mein chamkay, Bhaarat naam subhaaga !
Jai ho, jai ho, jai ho – Jai-jai-jai-jai-ho !! 
										
The song was a great hit, not only with the INA but with all who heard it. It 
is undoubtedly beautifully written, and – while adhering broadly to the 
content of Janaganamana – has been gracefully turned from a hymn into a pure 
national song, especially in the second stanza. However, its weak points are 
that its Hindi-Urdu blend is not entirely smooth, and the opening half-line 
seems a bit lukewarm.

However, I leave it to the group of poets who may be formed to tackle the 
issue.

		


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B.“Saaray Jahaan Say Achha” has generally been considered a worthy 
alternative – but it already has its own, well-recognised place in history as 
one of our major National Songs, next to “Vande Maataram”.  It also has a 
superb tune (I refer to the tune given by Pundit Ravi Shanker through the 
Indian Peoples Theatre Association). While many of its Persian-Arabic words 
are not easily understandable – 
like “Ghurbat”, “Humsaaya”, “Paasbaan”, “Rashk-e-Jinaan”, “Aab-e-Rood”, 
“Daur-e-Zamaan”, “Mehram”, “Dard-e-nihaan”, etc – the song nevertheless has 
one couplet that gives India its greatest message of integration :

        “Mazhab naheen sikhaata aapas mein bair rakhna –
         Hindi hain ham, watan hai Hindositaan hamara!”

      But in spite of its deep-routed national identity and appeal, there are 
four aspects 
      which, I feel, inhibit it from matching the stature of “Janaganamana” :

i)As I’ve already mentioned, its “India is the world’s best country” stance is 
neither factually correct nor greatly inspiring.  (For the same reason, 
D.L. Roy’s delightful Bengali song “Dhana Dhaanya Pushpe Bhara” –  
with the refrain “Shakul Desher Raani Sheje Aamaar Janmabhoomi” –  
may not make it the right choice.)
ii)  Because of the metre of the poem, Iqbal had turned “Hindustaan” (the  
      fourth most popular name of our country) into “HINDO-SITAAN” –  
      which, I feel, somewhat dilutes its impact.
iii) Like Janaganamana’s first stanza, this song too has general geographic 
      and symbolic terms which somehow do not reflect the inspiring  
      aspirations that we are looking for in our new Anthem.
iv)  It also has some rather unclear allusions, which unfortunately diffuse 
the 
      impact of the song. Besides, Iqbal must have gained some unpopularity 
      among nationalists, since it seems he had later become a protagonist of 
the  
      division of India.

C.Another worthy “Hindustani” contender for the role of an Anthem is the song 
no one seems to be singing any more: “Jhandaa Ooncha Rahay Hamaara”. I feel 
it  has as much positive impact as “Saaray Jahaan Say Achha”, but it too has 
its own unique place in our history of freedom and cannot now 
overtake “Janaganamana”. 

D.BUT YES, THERE IS A POEM THAT COULD FORM A LOFTY AND ACCEPTABLE BASE FOR A 
NEW ANTHEM THAT COULD STAND WITH HONOUR ALONG WITH “JANAGANAMANA” AND “VANDE 
MAATARAM”.  IT IS A POEM THAT TAGORE HAD HIMSELF WRITTEN, THE BENGALI VERSION 
OF WHICH BEGAN WITH THE WORDS :

 “CHITT JETHA BHAYSHOONYA-
                                                             UCHCH JETHA 
SHIR.”
								
                        And if that doesn’t ring a memorable bell in the minds 
of non-Bengalis, here’s the fabulously moving text of Tagore’s own English 
rendering – each line an inspirational masterpiece : 

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                                   “Where the mind is without fear and the 
head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by  
narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
            Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the 
dreary
            	desert sand of dead habit; 
            Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever widening thought 
and action – 
             Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake!”

Such were the lofty concepts and mighty aspirations of Tagore for his 
motherland.  Guru Rabindranath Tagore, India’s poet-patriot, who (in B.Gopala 
Reddi’s words of 1948) “rose like a giant, and his voice took on the 
dimensions of a trumpet whose blast was epic!”

AND FINALLY, SOME HUMBLE SUGGESTIONS REGARDING HOW THE IMMORTAL LINES OF THE 
POEM – ALONG WITH SELECTED ASPECTS OF OTHER NATIONAL SONGS – COULD BE SLOTTED 
INTO THE NEW ANTHEM :

1.The opening lines : “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held 
high” could also herald the new Anthem, backed by “that heaven of freedom” 
into which Tagore wanted the country to awake.  So, how about :
									
        “MAN JAHAAN NA DARAY,  SAR JAHAAN NA JHUKAY – 
         		AISA HO DESH   HAMAARA !”

Sing the words in the “Janaganamana” mode.  Do they move and inspire with 
impact ?  (Perhaps the group of poets who are selected to spearhead and 
streamline the Hindustani rendering could do even better.)

2.Other deeply meaningful messages of the poem that should be considered for 
adapting into the new Anthem could perhaps be broken down or combined into 
the following aspects (not necessarily in the same sequence or grouping) :

a)Where Knowledge and Success is available to all.
b)Where Truth, Reason and Brotherhood guide us to Unity and Strength.
c)Where we strive continuously for Perfection, and march towards Peace and 
Progress.

3.Elements of other National Songs that deserve to be incorporated :

a)Dr. Iqbal’s “Mazhab Naheen Sikhaata Aapas Mein Bair Rakhna” – in some form – 
is naturally essential, to emphasise that all religions emanate from the same 
solitary GOD, and that the whole world – not just the whole of India – is ONE 
FAMILY. 

b)Linking the “Maatrabhoomi” (or “Janmabhoomi”) concept with something like
“Maa Tujhe Salaam” (as in Bharat Bala’s and A.R. Rahman’s excellent version
of “Vande Maataram”) could effectively help to avoid controversies.
					
…. 8 ….

c)Would it also be possible to briefly convey what a beautiful “sangam” of 
cultures and 
languages our country is ? (Reflecting “Aikyavidhaayak” from Janaganamana’s 
2nd stanza, and “Sumadhur bhaashineem” from “Vande Maataram”.)

d)A concept for a new India could be referred to – as mentioned in 
Janaganamana’s 5th antra (“Navjeevan Ras Dhaale” and “Nidrit Bhaarat 
Jaage”) – rejecting the “desert sand of dead habit.”

e)Keeping our “tiranga” flag always proudly flying high could be conveyed with 
a form of “Jhanda Ooncha Rahay Hamara”.							

4.And the final VICTORY CALL could – and should – mention all the three most 
well-known official names of our country – to cover its national, traditional 
and international glory :

            “JAI HIND ! JAI BHAARAT ! JAI INDIA !
                        JAI-JAI-JAI-JAI HO !! (Not “hey”!)

Well, my friends, that is the nucleus.  The rest is left to the combined 
effort and consensus of the world’s largest democracy.

But whether or not we can succeed soon in converging our aspirations into a 
new Anthem, WHAT IS MOST ESSENTIAL IS THAT ALL OF US BEGIN, RIGHTAWAY AND ON 
A WAR FOOTING, TO CLEAN UP, SIMPLIFY AND CLARIFY THE ENTIRE GAMUT OF INDIAN 
COMMUNICATIONS WITH TRUTH AND JUSTICE. PANELS CONSISTING OF HIGHLY 
INTELLIGENT AND RELIABLE PATRIOTS NEED TO BE SET UP IN ALL FIELDS AND ALL 
AREAS, TO ENSURE THAT ALL INDIANS CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THEIR RIGHTS AND DUTIES, 
THEIR SCOPES AND LIMITS, THEIR AVENUES OF PROGRESSIVE CO-OPERATION AND 
PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE. TOO MUCH TIME HAS ALREADY BEEN WASTED – IF WE DON’T 
LOOK SHARP NOW, WE COULD SOON BE HURTLING TOWARDS IRRETRIEVABLE 
SELF-DESTRUCTION.

                                                                            ―  
AMEEN SAYANI
			***************** 
Publications referred to:
1.“OUR NATIONAL SONGS” – issued by Publications Division, Ministry of 
Information and Broadcasting.
2.“INDIA’S NATIONAL ANTHEM” -  by Prabodhchandra Sen.
3.“LETTERS TO GAURI” – by M.V. Kamath. (Letters No. 1, 2 and 82 regarding our 
three main national songs.)
4.“RABINDRANATH TAGORE: A CENTENARY VOLUME” – with articles by Jawaharlal 
Nehru, Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan and other eminent people.
5.“THE ARGUMENTATIVE INDIAN” - by Amartya Sen. (Chapter 5, entitled “Tagore 
and his India.”)
6.Several newspaper articles pertaining to the Vande Maataram “centenary” 
controversy.
* * *