'Vande Mataram' became mantra of patriotism: Hosabale

New Delhi, Nov 1 (PTI) RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale remembered Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, who penned 'Vande Mataram', on the 150th anniversary of the composition of the national song on Saturday, saying the song became the mantra of patriotism and the nation's soul after Rabindranath Tagore sang it in 1896.

The RSS second-in-command said the pervasiveness of this mantra can be understood from the fact that many scholars and great personalities of the country, such as Maharishi Aurobindo, Madam Bhikaji Cama, great poet Subramanyam Bharti, Lala Hardayal, Lala Lajpat Rai and others added 'Vande Mataram' to the titles of their newspapers and magazines.

Mahatma Gandhi also concluded his letters with 'Vande Mataram' for many years.

"On the auspicious occasion of the 150th anniversary of the composition of Vande Mataram, the wonderful mantra that worships the motherland and instils consciousness in the entire nation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh gratefully remembers and pays tribute to the author of the national song, the revered Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay," Hosabale said in a statement in Hindi.

Rabindranath Tagore mesmerised listeners by singing 'Vande Mataram', which was composed in 1875, at the Congress National Convention in 1896, he said.

"Since then, this song has become not only a mantra of patriotism but also a national proclamation, the voice of national consciousness, and the soul of the nation," he said.

Thereafter, 'Vande Mataram' became the slogan of all warriors of India's freedom struggle, including the Partition of Bengal movement, Hosabale said. PTI PK DIV DIV