Maha & Bengal made great contribution to freedom struggle

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: “Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's national song 'Vande Mataram' inspired the freedom struggle. Maharashtra, Punjab and West Bengal made great contributions to this struggle,” said Principal Kautikrao Thale Patil, President of Marathwada Sahitya Parishad (MSP).

He was speaking at a special programme organised at Mahatma Phule Auditorium, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (Bamu) on Friday to mark the 150th anniversary of the writing of the national song 'Vande Mataram'.

Vice Chancellor Dr Vijay Fulari presided over the function. Registrar Dr Prashant Amritkar and Dr Kailas Ambhure were present on the dais.

Principal Kautikrao Patil said that this song from Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's novel Anandamath was sung in the Congress session of 1896.

“This led to the Vang Bhang movement. In 1905, the partition of Bengal also took place. Especially in 1938, the students of the Government College of Arts and Science of the city sang this song, which led to their arrest in the then Nizam’s rule,” he said.