Vice-President unveils ‘Vande Mataram’ exhibition with 20 rare images
Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan on Friday (July 10, 2026) virtually inaugurated a permanent exhibition on Vande Mataram, featuring 20 rare images depicting the historical journey of
Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan on Friday (July 10, 2026) virtually inaugurated a permanent exhibition on Vande Mataram, featuring 20 rare images depicting the historical journey of the national song, as he addressed a three-day international seminar on Sardar Patel’s vision of integration, unification and federalism organised by the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS) in Shimla. The Vice-President said the nation was commemorating two historic milestones, the 150th anniversary of the national song Vande Mataram and the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
The IIAS, one of the country’s premier centres of advanced research in the humanities, social sciences and literature, also prepared a coffee-table book titled Vande Mataram: A Journey, which was launched by the Vice-President. The book provides a detailed account of the composition of Vande Mataram, its significance, its role in the freedom struggle and the controversies that arose over time. It includes a research-based narrative covering everything from the initial objections raised against the song at the 1923 Kakinada session of the Congress to the process of omitting four of its stanzas in 1937.
“While innovations can make a nation prosperous, it is ideas that make a nation truly great,” Mr. Radhakrishnan said, recalling the role of Vande Mataram during India’s freedom movement. “For countless freedom fighters, Vande Mataram became a source of courage, sacrifice and hope, transforming love for the motherland into a sacred national duty,” he said. Sharing examples from Tamil Nadu, the Vice-President highlighted the contributions of freedom fighters such as V.O. Chidambaram Pillai, Tiruppur Kumaran, Vanchinathan, and Mahakavi Subramania Bharati, who drew inspiration from the spirit of Vande Mataram.
“Patriotism should not remain confined to moments of struggle but must find expression every day through honesty in conduct, excellence in work and unity of purpose,” he added.
The BriefWire