True Meaning of our NATIONAL ANTHEM?! Controversies unknown!!

It was 10pm. I was in a Multiplex complex for night show. Just 10 mints before the movie to hit the screens, formal advts occupied. Since its usual I didn’t care much. Suddenly a video was shown in which a singer sang our NATIONAL ANTHEM. Actually I was left with no time to react since I didn’t expect that in a theatre that too at night 10.30 but stood up immediately and sang along with the mass till the end to respect it.

Several thoughts and questions peaked in my mind after this. Are there not any norms and protocols to be followed for singing our national anthem? But another question really haunted me is “Do I know the meaning of my national anthem?” I was left with no clue. I know it is written in Hindi by Geetanjali worker Tagore. I know it praises our mother land INDIA. But meaning of it? I am blank. I am singing it right from my LKG without knowing what I mean, Shame on me.

Searched in net was stunned to know there is a great controversy behind the meaning of our national anthem. I didn’t expect that it will be so interesting. It made me to learn something from history of 60 years independence at least now. I thought of presenting the entire scene.

The following is the controversial meaning which I got in net it says

Actually all of us think that Tagore has written praising our India. Sorry folks. Those lines are not praising India But it honors King George V and Queen of England.

Amazed? Read on.

When our nation was under British rule, King George V and Queen of England visited India in 1919. Pundit Motilal Nehru had the five stanzas included, which are in praise of the king and queen. Before looking into the meaning, let’s see the song

" Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka Jaya He

Bharat Bhagya Vidhata

Punjab Sindh Gujarat Maratha

Dravida Utkala Banga

Vindhya Himachal Yamuna Ganga

Ucchala Jaladhi Taranga

Tubh Shubha Name Jage

Tubh Shubha Ashisha Mange

Gahe Tubh Jaya Gata

Jan Gan Mangaldayak Jay He

Bharat Bhagya Vidhata

Jaye He ! Jaye He ! Jaye He !

Jaye,Jaye,Jaye,Jaye He "

>The 'Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka Jayei He':

Victory for King George who is the lord of the masses (Adhinayak) and

> 'Bharat Bhagya Vidhata':

is "the bestower of good fortune".

> Punjab Sindh Gujarat Maratha
>Dravida Utkala Banga
>Vindhya Himachal yamuna Ganga
>Ucchala Jaladhi Taranga

It implies only those provinces that were under British rule i.e. Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, Maratha, Dravid, Utkal,Bang etc.were mentioned. None of the princely states were recognized which are integral parts of India now - Kashmir, Rajasthan, Andhra, Mysore or Kerala.
Further it mentions Vindhya, Himachal, Yamuna and Ganga, but neither the Indian ocean nor the Arabian Sea were included, since they were directly under Portuguese rule at that time.

> Tav shubh naame jaage :

(Indian)People wake up remembering your good name Tav shubh ashish mange
and ask for your blessings

>Gahe tav jai gaatha :

and they sing your glories.

The following are the other 4 stanzas with their meanings.
> 2nd stanza:
Around your throne people of all religions come and give their love and
anxiously wait to hear your kind words.

> 3rd stanza :
Praise to the King for being the charioteer, for leading the ancient
travelers beyond misery.

> 4th stanza:
Drowned in the deep ignorance and suffering, poverty stricken,unconscious
country? waiting for the wink of your eye and your mother's (the
Queen's)true protection.

>5th stanza:
In your compassionate plans, the sleeping Bharat(India) will wake up.We
bow down to your feet O' Queen, and glory to Rajeshwara (the King).

Reason for Controversy:

Firstly, the poem was composed in December 1911 precisely during the coronation of King George V. It was first sung during a convention of the then loyalist INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS in Calcutta on Dec 27, 1911. It was sung on the second day of the convention, and the agenda of the day devoted itself to a loyal welcome of George V on his visit to India. The event was reported thus in the Indian press as:

"The Bengali poet Babu Rabindranath Tagore sang a song composed by him specially to welcome the Emperor." (Statesman, Dec. 28, 1911)

"The proceedings began with the singing by Babu Rabindranath Tagore of a song specially composed by him in honour of the Emperor." (Englishman, Dec. 28, 1911)

"When the proceedings of the Indian National Congress began on Wednesday 27th December 1911, a Bengali song in welcome of the Emperor was sung. A resolution welcoming the Emperor and Empress was also adopted unanimously." (Indian, Dec. 29, 1911)

Thus here a belief gained that the poem had written in honor of the visiting monarch. Others aver that the newspaper reports cited above were misguided, the confusion arising since a different song written in Hindi by Rambhuj Chaudhry, was song on same occasion in praise of the king.

Tagore’s view about the issue:

Thus, Tagore is said to have written the poem in honour of God. In a letter to Pulin Behari Sen, Tagore himself wrote:

"A certain high official in His Majesty's service, who was also my friend, had requested that I write a song of felicitation towards the Emperor. The request simply amazed me. It caused a great stir in my heart. In response to that great mental turmoil, I pronounced the victory in Jana Gana Mana of that Bhagya Vidhata [ed. God of Destiny] of India who has from age after age held steadfast the reins of India's chariot through rise and fall, through the straight path and the curved. That Lord of Destiny, that Reader of the Collective Mind of India, that Perennial Guide, could never be George V, George VI, or any other George. Even my official friend understood this about the song. After all, even if his admiration for the crown was excessive, he was not lacking in simple common sense."

After reading this I concluded one thing. India is not only known for rich culture and heritage but also for its controversy in every issue.

JAI HIND!

Source:
Wikipedia.com