India, Jan. 4 -- "Vande Mataram is the modern embodiment of a great cultural tradition," said PM Modi. He underscored that Bankim Chandra composed lines which emphasised that Mother India is both the goddess of knowledge and prosperity, and also the fierce Chandika who wields weapons against enemies.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recontextualised the relevance of Vande Mataram while celebrating its 150 years since it was written. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay is too often read narrowly as a nationalist novelist, and his momentous contribution, Vande Mataram, is too conveniently confined to the freedom struggle. Both readings are historically shallow and incomplete.

Bankim was not merely reacting to British colonialism but also responding ...