Talk:Jana Gana Mana/Comments
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Regarding Jana Gana Mana, I would like you to consider the following:
"Excerpts quoted from 'India's National Anthem' by Prabodhchandra Sen, published by Visva Bharati, Kolkata, revised edition, 1972.
p.7 to 12:
Some people are under the impression that the song 'Jana-ganamana Adhinayaka' was composed for and sung on the occasion of the Coronation Durbar of King George V at Delhi. No evidence, however, has been found in support of this strange impression. Detailed descriptions of the Delhi Durbar and of other functions in connection with the King's visit to Calcutta are found in the official publication known as The Historical Record of the Imperial Visit to India, 1911, published by John Murray, London, in 1914 under the authority and the order of the then Viceroy of India. No mention of the song is found anywhere in this publication. However, the excerpts of this publication, quoted at the end, indicate that at a pageant in Kolakata, on January 4, there was a performance of music arranged/organized by a Prodyot Tagore, a disant relative of Rabindranath Tagore.
It is now well-known that the song was first sung in 1911 at the second day's sitting of the Indian National Congress (December 27) held at Calcutta. . . Only a fortnight before (December 12) King George V had proclaimed at the Delhi Durbar the annulment of the partition of Bengal. The king was due to arrive in Calcutta on December 30, two days after the conclusion of the Congress session. Jubilant over the said proclamation, the moderate leaders (of Congress) decided to welcome the royal couple with a declaration of loyalty from the Congress platform and a suitable song became necessary for the occasion. Possibly it was with a request for such a song that Rabindranath Tagore was approached. But the Poet would not compose a song in praise of the emperor of India which he considered to be an act of 'unbounded stupidity', and sang instead the victory of 'Eternal Charioteer' to whose glory alone he was capable of singing. . .
A song that satisfied the requirements of the moderate leaders was also found in time, and with this, as . . . show(n) later, 'Janaganamana Adhinayaka' was confused by some reporters, ultimately leading to the present controversy.
The first day's proceedings of the Indian National Congress held in Calcutta in 1911 opened with the singing of 'Vande Mataram'. That day's sitting concluded with the speeches of the Chairman of the Reception Committee and the President of the session. The second day's sitting began with the song 'Janaganamana Adhinayaka' after which messages of goodwill from well-wishers were read out. A resolution was then passed welcoming the royal couple and expressing loyalty to them. Following this was sung a Hindi song in praise of the king, composed specially for the occasion. This was the song that had consoled the moderate leaders. .
A reference to the contemporary papers and other reports will throw more light on the character of the song 'Janaganamana':
1. Official Report of the 28th session of the Congress:
The proceedings commenced with a patriotic song composed by Babu Rabindranath Tagore.
(After this are reports of messages received from friends and the passing of the loyalty resolution moved from the chair.)
After that a song of welcome to Their Imperial Majesties composed for the occasion was sung by the choir.
It will be observed that a distinction has been made in this report between the two songs. One is called a patriotic song and the other a song of welcome to the royal couple. . .
2. Amrita Bazar Patrika, 28 December 1911:
The proceedings began with the singing of a Bengali song of benediction . . . This (the loyalty resolution) was followed by another song in honour of Their Imperial Majesties visit to India.
Here also the difference in character of the two songs has been clearly brought out. . .
3. The Bengalee, 28 December 1911:
The proceedings commenced with a patriotic song composed by Babu Rabindranath Tagore, the leading poet of Bengal (Janaganamana Adhinayaka), of which we give the English translation - 'King of the heart of nations, Lord of our country's fate . . .' then
(after the passing of the loyalty resolution)
a Hindi song paying heartfelt homage to Their Imperial Majesties was sung by Bengali boys and girls in chorus. . .
Let us now consider the Anglo-Indian Journals.
4. The Englishman, 28 December 1911:
The proceedings opened with a song of welcome to the King Emperor, specially composed for the occasion by Babu Rabindranath Tagore . . . This (loyalty resolution) was followed by another song in Hindi welcoming Their Imperial Majesties.
According to this report the Bengali song by Rabindranath was also of welcome to the king. This is in contradiction of the Congress Report and those appearing in Amrita Bazar Patrika and the Bengalee. Here, apparently, lies the source of the oft-repeated calumny against the song 'Janaganamana Adhinayaka'.
5. The Statesman, 28 December 1911:
The proceedings commenced shortly before 12 o’clock with a Bengali song . . . The choir of girls led by Sarala Devi then (after the loyalty resolution) sang a hymn of welcome to the king specially composed for the occasion by Babu Rabindranath Tagore, the Bengali poet.
No mention has been made in this report of the composer of the opening song in Bengali. . . From the report that the second was composed by ‘Babu Rabindranath Tagore, the Bengali poet’, it is clear that the Statesman was under the impression that this was also a Bengali song. . . Apparently the Statesman reporter did not know that it was the opening song of the day that was composed by Rabindranath. Hence the confusion.
6. Reuter:
When the Indian National Congress resumed its session on Wednesday, December 27, a Bengali song specially composed in honour of the royal visit was sung and a resolution welcoming the King Emperor and Queen Empress was adopted unanimously. . .
It will be noticed that there is complete unanimity in the reports of the three Indian sources quoted above while those emanating from the last three sources are mutually conflicting and completely contradict the Indian reports. . .
It is not known whether Rabindranath had contradicted these reports.
p. 6 & 7:
Rabindranath himself said in a letter (20.11.1937) regarding the origin of the song:
A friend, influential in Government circles, had importuned me to compose a song in praise of the King. His request had amazed me, and the amazement was mingled with anger. It was under the stress of this violent reaction that I proclaimed in the Janaganamana Adhinayaka song, the victory of that Dispenser of India’s destiny who chariots eternally the travelers through the ages along the paths rugged with the rise and fall of nations – of Him who dwells within the heart of man and leads the multitudes. That the Great Charioteer of Man’s destiny in age after age could not by any means be George the Fifth or George the Sixth or any other George, even my loyal friend realized; because, however powerful his loyalty to the King, he was not wanting in intelligence. . .
In the same context Rabindranath says in another letter (29.3.1939):
I should only insult myself if I cared to answer those who consider me capable of such unbounded stupidity as to sing in praise of George the Fourth or George the Fifth as Eternal Charioteer leading the pilgrims on their journey through countless ages of the timeless history of mankind.
Excerpts from ‘The Historical Record of the Imperial Visit to India, 1911’ published by John Murray in 1914:
An Indian band organized by Maharaja Sir Prodyot Tagore, and trained by Professor Dakshina Sen, a well-known Indian musician, advanced before the dais and played during the processions on a hundred instruments that were special reproductions of the best ancient models. The programme included some Indian pieces and marches composed respectively by Sir Prodyot Tagore and Professor Sen. It also contained the Flag of Britain and the National Anthem specially set to Indian instruments. p. 257/
Full Quote from ‘The Historical Record of the Imperial Visit to India, 1911’ published by John Murray in 1914:
On the morning of the 4th January, the King-Emperor, attended by the Governor-General, went by motor to inspect the work on the Victoria Memorial building, the foundation stone of which he had, as Prince of Wales, laid on the same day six years previously. On that occasion His Majesty had described the Memorial as "a symbol of the unity and concord that came from Queen Victoria's all-embracing love for her people and an enduring token of the affection which all--Europeans and Indians, Princes and peasants--felt for Queen Victoria." His Majesty was received by the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal and the members of the Victoria Memorial Committee, who were presented, as well as Sir W. Emerson, the Architect, Mr. C. B. Bayley, the Honorary Secretary, and Mr. Esch, the Superintending Architect. First of all His Majesty examined the plans, and also a model, on which he made some suggestions. He then inspected the work already done on the building. Meanwhile the Queen-Empress, attended by Lady Hardinge, had visited the Calcutta Museum, where the various exhibits were pointed out by Sir Ashutosh Mukherji, the Chairman of the Trustees, and by Dr. Annandale, the Superintendent of the Museum, Dr. E. D. Ross, Keeper of the Government Records, and Mr. P. Brown, Principal of the School of Art. Her Majesty's attention was specially attracted by Verestchagin's picture of the visit of King Edward to Jaipur and also by the model of the original Fort William. In the collection of old Indian paintings Mr. Abanindra Nath Tagore, himself the leader of a modern school, had the honour of acting as cicerone. An hour later the King-Emperor paid a similar visit, showing particular interest in Lord Curzon's collection of portraits of the Governors-General. and in the old Buddhist remains. It may here be mentioned that the robes worn by Their Majesties at the Coronation Durbar were, by the King-Emperor's special Command, placed on view at the Museum for some days, during which many thousands flocked to see them. p. 255
The Musalman pageant, which was arranged by Nawab Sir Wasif Ali Mirza of Murshidabad, was designed to show the Nauroz (New Year's Day), p. 256
festival. This celebration, still observed by the Parsis, is said to date back to the time of the ancient Persian monarch Jamshid. It is also a feast-day of the Shia Muhammadans, and has been observed at Murshidabad since the beginning of the eighteenth century. The gathering of the people was perhaps greater on this day than on any other during Their Majesties' stay in Calcutta, and the large area of the pageant ground allowed the spectacle to be witnessed by a number which is estimated at fully a million persons.
[then skipping the rest of that and two more paragraphs]
The pageant then began. An Indian band organized by Maharaja Sir Prodyot Tagore, and trained by Professor Dakshina Sen, a well-known Indian musician, advanced before the dais and played during the processions on a hundred instruments that were special reproductions of the best ancient models. The programme included some Indian pieces and marches composed respectively by Sir Prodyot Tagore and Professor Sen. It also contained the Flag of Britain and the National Anthem specially set to Indian instruments. p. 257/"
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