From anthem to ‘extra’: How Vande Mataram got marginalised in the name of secularism

The article explores how *Vande Mataram*, once the heartbeat of India’s freedom struggle, became marginalized in post-Independence India under the guise of secularism. Written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, the song symbolized Bharat’s spiritual nationalism but was gradually sidelined to appease minority sentiments. Leaders like Gandhi and the Congress, fearing communal discord, restricted its use, while *Jana Gana Mana* was adopted as the national anthem. This compromise, the author argues, reflected a broader discomfort with Hindu imagery and cultural roots in Indian nationalism, turning *Vande Mataram* from a revolutionary anthem into an “extra” in the narrative of secular India.