Is this debate diverting our focus?

Every Indian loves our national song ‘Vande Mataram’, penned by Bankim Chandra Chaterjee in 1875 when the freedom struggle was in a nascent stage. Since then, through the stormy decades of the movement for Independence, Vande Mataram became the inspiration for every Indian carrying the flag of freedom and bearing the lathi blows of the British imperialists as they tried to put down the struggle. It was sung at gatherings, protest rallies and meetings and was on every Indian’s lip. So why make a controversy out of a song on the occasion of its 150th anniversary by targeting one of the greatest heroes of the freedom movement, Pandit Nehru, our first prime minister  by claiming that he and the founder of Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah were on the same page as far as the immortal song was concerned.

That Nehru felt the song would irritate the Muslim community? There is obviously more than what meets the eye in the plan of the ruling BJP-led NDA to keep harping on the history of the song and how it was ‘betrayed’ by some pillars of the struggle against the British. There are too many controversies dogging the BJP government and there seems to be a subtle attempt to sidestep these issues by turning all attention on a chapter of history which many Indians may have forgotten.

In the midst of the Vande Mataram debate, attention also seems to have been diverted from the dastardly Red Fort bomb blast right in the heart of India’s power hub which killed several people and sent a shiver down the spine of every Delhiite. Were they security lapses and have the loopholes been plugged are burning questions which are begging for answers. The economy is no longer in the pink of health with the rupee breaching the 90 mark against the US dollar which is likely to hit the poor and disadvantaged sections of society the hardest.

The harsh tariffs imposed by US President Trump on Indian goods has already hit the export sector severely; whether it is the textile, seafood, jewellery or automobile sector, they have all taken a big hit after Trump decided to go hammer and tongs against India jacking up tariff rates to unbelievable heights. People are set to lose their jobs as exporters desperately hunt for alternative markets which as one knows, won’t happen overnight. Aspiring and highly educated Indian youngsters scouting for better career and livelihood prospects in the US, have suffered a rude shock with visa rules getting tightened in the name of preventing an immigrant inflow.

Unemployment is staring in our face as giant corporates cut jobs in the face of adverse market conditions; rural woes are increasing in leaps and bounds with even Karnataka’s maize farmers taking a big hit following a glut in production and inadequate procurement measures. An unfriendly central government is obviously in no mood to help a Congress ruled state. All these are crucial issues which need to be debated at length so that we are ready to face the challenges of the emerging world order where Trump’s MAGA has already wreaked havoc on many an economy including India. There is no doubt that parliament needs to debate the glory of Vande Mataram. But there is also a need to make sure that burning issues including price rise, unemployment, safety and security top the national agenda.