Adhir Ranjan writes to PM Modi about Subramanian Swamy's 'narrow' national anthem appeal

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's letter concerning 'replacement' of some words in national anm by one composed and sung by Late Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and termed MP's concern as 'narrow'.

"I may like to draw your attention to a letter written by Subramanyam Swamy member Rajya Sabha. said letter concerns replacement of a few words in our national anm Jana Gana Mana by a few words composed and sung by Late Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and his INA forces," Chowdhury wrote in his letter to PM Modi, according to ANI.

' letter both in spirit & understanding is narrow': Adhir Ranjan

"Swamy demands this change on ground that Rabindranath Tagore's Jana Gana Mana, which was adopted by Indian Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950 as India's national anm, neir reflects post-independence Indian reality as it contains 'Sind' (which w lies in Pakistan) t it is clear for whom this was written as Tagore had composed this in 1911," he added.

" letter both in spirit and understanding is narrow, divisive and violates deep national sentiment that exists on subject matter," Chowdhury stated. "It also betrays ethos of Indian nationalism that lies behind composition of national anm. Gurudev's 'Idea of India' reflects pluralism, humanism, universal brorhood and respect for religious and cultural diversities," he added.

"Swamy's understanding of Jana Gana Mana is too limited and narrow as he takes mere territorial understanding of present India and hence he considers 'Sindh' as a misfit in post-1947 India. But India is t merely a territorial land, it is an ocean of cultures and ideas with an infinite capacity to knit toger infinite pluralism in perfect harmony," Chowdhury wrote.

Dr Swamy writes to PM Modi

Earlier this month, in a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Swamy said words in Tagore’s national anm, such as "Sindh", raise "unnecessary doubts" and was "inappropriate for post-1947 independent India". Calling it a "demand of an overwhelming majority of youths of India", Swamy hoped that government would carry out necessary changes by 26 January 2021.

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MP also referred to concluding remarks by former president Rajendra Prasad on 26 vember 1949, in which he had said that words in national anm may be amended or replaced in future.

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