“When the people of India were suffering from colonial rule, it was from Bengal that ‘Vande Mataram’ emerged, giving a powerful message and encapsulating the feeling of every Indian. This year, we are marking 150 years of Vande Mataram and thus, we celebrate a timeless invocation of devotion to the motherland. I just returned from Slovakia, where Slovak singers sang this song beautifully. It highlights the global popularity of Vande Mataram! Today, on Paschimbanga Divas, I bow to each and every stalwart of West Bengal who has enriched India in diverse ways,” the Prime Minister said in his letter.
