Mumbai. Param Pujya Sarsanghchalak of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Dr. Mohan Rao Bhagwat on December 16, asked people to read a book on ‘Vande Mataram’, saying the ‘Mantra’ of these two words have inspired the country for the last 140 years.
Param Pujya Sarsanghchalak was speaking at a public gathering in Mumbai on Tuesday evening, after releasing two volumes of ‘Samagra Vande Mataram’ which dwell on Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s famous work.
Praising the universal tenets of ‘Vande Mataram’, Bhagwatji said: “From the Himayalas to Kanyakumari, from Kutch to Kamrup, it is understood by all of us because it is the language of the heart.”
“We should definitely read this book. At home, we generally keep the Bhagwad Gita. We don’t read it, but we keep it,” Bhagwatji said.”People keep it at their homes even if they don’t read it. Similarly this book should also be kept at home and read daily,” the RSS chief said.
“Vande Mataram is not just two words, but a mantra which was on the lips of freedom fighters that went to the gallows,” Bhagwatji said. “If you think you cannot read, no issues. You may still keep it. May be young people in your home will read it,” he said.
“Vande Mataram is a term which denotes the language of every Bharatiya ‘s heart. That is why everyone understands it,” he said. Bharat is not just a line on the global map but the name of a “characteristic”, Bhagwat ji said.
Param Pujya Sarsanghchalak said, “There is unity in diversity. Bharat says all can stay together despite being a varied lot. “We can be one despite being diverse — in manners of food habits, languages we speak and the gods and goddesses we worship. That is a character unique to Bharat, which gives it a special place in the world,” he added.
Earlier, there were 33 crore gods and goddesses and many more keep getting added, he said. Maharashtra Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao said it was unfortunate that some people in the country make adverse comments about Vande Mataram.
Bankim Chandra’s descendant Shantanu Chattopadhyay who came from Kolkata was honoured on the occasion.
