The National Anthem by Tagore was in Reality a Paean to King George on his Visit to India
The Indian National Anthem " Jana Gana Mana" is sung everyday. I am afraid very few know that this anthem has a history and its not very nice. The English translation of the song is available on the net and anybody can download and read it. But this is immaterial to what I am going to write.
The song was composed in 1911 and at that time Tagore composed it as a paean in honor of the visit of King George and Queeen Mary to India. The song was sung for the first time at the meeting of the Congress party at Calcutta in December 1911. The purpose of this meeting was to welcome the English Monarch and his queen to India. The conference adopted a resolution welcoming King George and Queen Mary to India. The King and Queen landed in India in December 1911. it must be mentioned that the conference was specially called to welcome the King and also to thank him for annuling the partition of Bengal in 1905.
Tagore never denied that the song was sung and composed to honor the visit of the King and queen, but in 1937, after a lapse of 26 years he changed his tune and claimed that the song was for Indian independence. A reading of the song clearly shows that all along King Geiorge was his subject. After this Tagore was knighted by the King and he accepted the honor. If he was a nationalist he could have refused the honor.
A reading of the song brings out certain points. The song refers to "Adhinayak", which means ruler and at that time the ruler was the King of England. It further talks of '"Bharat Bhag Vidhata". this means "dispenser of India's destiny". Who was the man who held india's destiny in his hand at that time? it was none other than the English Monarch.
There is no doubt that the song was composed as a part of sycophancy for the king and lord emperor of Hindustan , King George and his consort Mary. This fact is known to many people and has been alluded to by justice katju as well. In 1911, the British rule looked permanent for another 200 years, but by 1937 there was a rising tide of nationalism and Tagore changed his tune. I may further add that the song was set to music by an English composer named Herbert Murill at the behest of Nehru. Some facts can make strange reading including the truth of our National Anthem
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