Republic Day festivities to highlight Vande Mataram

Republic Day festivities to highlight Vande Mataram

European Union leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa will be the chief guests; EU-India summit to be held on January 27, where the free trade agreement is expected to be finalised

With European Union (EU) leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa expected to arrive in India next month on the occasion of Republic Day, the government is going ahead with plans to highlight the National Song Vande Mataram during the festivities.

According to officials, the Ministry of Defence has directed that the 77th Republic Day celebrations on January 26, where the European Commission and European Council Presidents will be the chief guests, will incorporate a “Vande Mataram theme”, with a torch relay, and a special flypast.

The events will mark 150 years since the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram, which are sung as the National Song, was published in 1875.

Ms. von der Leyen and Mr. Costa are likely to share dias with President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to receive the parade.

While it is customary to invite leaders of one country, not a grouping as the chief guest, the government had also invited the leaders of the 10-nation ASEAN in 2018. In January 2022, the government had to cancel plans to host five leaders of Central Asian countries for the Republic Day, due to a rise in COVID-19 cases at the time.

On January 27, after the main day events, which include an at-home reception for the chief guests at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the European leaders will join Mr. Modi for the EU-India Summit, where they are expected to finalise the much-delayed free trade agreement (FTA).

The Ministry is also considering a proposal to incorporate the logo of “150 Years of Vande Mataram” initiative in invitations and rename enclosures.

The Ministry of Culture also plans to encourage participation in the events by integrating its campaign portal with the My Bharat portal, which has an estimated user base of two crore people.

Nationwide celebration

Officials said alongside the Vande Mataram-themed events in Delhi, there will be musical performances by Army bands in cantonments, as well as by school, college and National Cadet Corps (NCC) bands across campuses nationwide to celebrate the song, which became a rallying cry for the Indian Independence movement.

In addition, officials planning the event at Kartavya Path are working on a suggestion to shift the flypast from its traditional slot at the end of the parade to the middle of the event, to “enhance visibility and audience engagement”. The flypast too would incorporate the theme, officials said.

The plan to change some of the elements in the Republic Day events is part of a series of decisions made during a meeting chaired by Home Secretary Govind Mohan on October 24 this year, where Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal made a detailed presentation. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has been asked to produce 25 one-minute films on the National Song and its author Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

In addition, the committee directed the Ministry of External Affairs to ensure that all embassies and posts worldwide will hold cultural evenings and a “Global Music Festival” on the “Rashtriya Geet” (National Song), while Ambassadors and heads of mission have been asked to contribute articles to local newspapers in countries where they are posted elaborating on the theme.

It is unclear whether the move to rebrand Republic Day events with the Vande Mataram theme will be permanent.