New Delhi, Dec. 8 -- The ongoing parliamentary debate on Vande Mataram has been framed around a significant milestone - the 150th anniversary of the song's first publication in 1875. To commemorate the occasion, Parliament scheduled a special discussion: a ten-hour session in the Lok Sabha on 8 December 2025 and a corresponding debate in the Rajya Sabha the next day. The purpose of this rare, extended sitting is not merely ceremonial. It is meant to revisit the song's historic journey, its cultural weight, its place in India's freedom movement, and its relevance in a rapidly changing national landscape.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the debate at noon on December 8, setting its tenor and direction. In his address, he described Vand...