Hyderabad, Dec. 8 -- The Parliament opened its winter session this week with a significant political clash over the national song, "Vande Mataram." The controversy surrounding the patriotic song persists even after 150 years since its creation. With its uplifting invocation - 'Mother, I bow to thee' - the poem became a household song for a nation, inspiring a deep sense of pride and unity among Indians.

The term "Vande" in Sanskrit is derived from "Vand," which appears in the Rigveda and signifies 'to praise' or 'to salute respectfully.' The word "Mataram" has Indo-European origins, tracing back to "Matar-" in Sanskrit, "meter" in Greek, and "mater" in Latin, all of which mean 'mother.'

Many are unaware that this song was relatively unk...