UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 1 : Questions on Vande Mataram as a symbol of unity and Ghadar Movement (Week 127)

QUESTION 1

“The true power of India lies in its diversity and the harmony of its languages, cultures, and ways of life.” In light of this statement, discuss how Vande Mataram functions as a symbol of unity in a plural society like India.

QUESTION 2

Describe the origin and objectives of the Ghadar Movement. Highlight its transnational character and its connection with diaspora communities.

General points on the structure of the answers for UPSC Mains

Introduction

— The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one-liner is not a standard introduction.

— It may consist of basic information by giving some definitions from the trusted source and authentic facts.

Body

— It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content.

— The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points.

— Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question, but do not over analyse.

QUESTION 1: “The true power of India lies in its diversity and the harmony of its languages, cultures, and ways of life.” In light of this statement, discuss how Vande Mataram functions as a symbol of unity in a plural society like India.

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— Vande Mataram – It is not merely a phrase; it is the eternal heartbeat of the Indian soul, echoing through the consciousness of this sacred land for over a century and a half.

— It is a divine mantra of national awakening, one that illuminated a nation bound in chains, rekindled identity amidst despair, infused courage into resistance, and ultimately gave form to freedom itself.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:

— This song carries neither the lure of power nor the bias of caste, creed, or region. It embodies the collective consciousness of India, an awareness forged through millennia of civilisation, culture, and spiritual traditions. It reminds us that a nation is not merely a geographical territory, but a living, nurturing mother. Our reverence, devotion, and loyalty to her are what define our true identity. ‘Vande Mataram’ reflects the Indian philosophy of life, where patriotism is not confined to politics but manifests as devotion, discipline, and selfless service to the motherland.

— The creation of ‘Vande Mataram’ marked a spiritual and cultural renaissance. At a time when British rule sought to suppress India’s cultural and religious consciousness, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay infused new life into the nation’s spirit by weaving this song into his novel Anandamath. When the monks of Anandamath sang ‘Vande Mataram’, it was not mere praise of the land; it was a clarion call for freedom.

— It was inspired by the Sanyasi Movement, the first organised expression of India’s self-confidence in the face of colonial rule. In 1875, when Chattopadhyay penned the words Sujalam suphalam/ Malayajashitalam/ Sasyashyamalam/ Mataram, he awakened the slumbering soul of India.

— During the 1905 Bengal Partition movement, echoes of ‘Vande Mataram’ filled schools, meetings, rallies, and every street where the dream of freedom stirred. It became the final chant of revolutionaries as they faced the gallows. It inspired countless Indians to offer themselves in the yajna of freedom, whose flames illuminated the dawn of Independence.

— The architects of independent India revered ‘Vande Mataram’ as a symbol of the nation’s soul. Today, it continues to evoke pride, reverence, and unity among Indians across generations. The 150th anniversary of ‘Vande Mataram’ is a moment for reflection. It is regrettable that today, some self-proclaimed intellectuals question the sanctity of ‘Vande Mataram’. At times, they dismiss it as communal; at others, they seek to confine its universality within sectarian bounds.

Conclusion:

— Indeed, ‘Vande Mataram’ is not a song belonging to any one religion, sect, or community; it is the voice of the Indian soul itself. It is a hymn of reverence to the motherland. That is why, on January 24, 1950, the Constituent Assembly of India unanimously adopted ‘Vande Mataram’ as the national song.

— Today, as India strides confidently on its path of self-reliance and development, the inspiration that guides this journey is the same spirit Chattopadhyay ignited a century and a half ago. Under the leadership of the Indian Prime Minister, as the nation advances with the mantra of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat, ‘Vande Mataram’ continues to strengthen our sense of unity. The song reminds us that India’s true power lies in its diversity, in the harmony of its languages, cultures, and ways of life.

(Source: 150 years on, Vande Mataram is still nation’s soul, evokes unity)

Points to Ponder

Read about Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

Why did India unanimously adopt ‘Vande Mataram’ as the national song?

Related Previous Year Question

To what extent did the role of the moderates prepare a base for the wider freedom movement? Comment. (2021)

Interesting read: Less than 40% women in UPSC Civil Services exams in a decade; transgender participation negligible

QUESTION 2: Describe the origin and objectives of the Ghadar Movement. Highlight its transnational character and its connection with diaspora communities.

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— Indian emigrants to the United States founded the Ghadar movement to free their motherland from British imperialism. The Ludhiana district of Punjab was home to the movement’s leading revolutionaries.

— The revolutionaries intended to incite Indian soldiers in the British army to initiate an organised armed insurrection.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:

— Founded in 1913, the Ghadar movement is known to be the first organised transnational attempt to revolt against British rule. Although it was brutally suppressed by the British very quickly, it left an intellectual and ideological imprint on several later nationalist and revolutionary leaders across India, including Bhagat Singh, M N Roy, and Subhas Chandra Bose.

Poster of Ghadar Party heroes (Wikimedia Commons)

— Scholars argue that the spirit of resilience and rebellion that defined the Ghadar movement continues to resonate in Punjab today. The memories of the Ghadarites endure in Punjabi folklore and reappear in moments of collective resistance, including the recent farmers’ protest.

— Harish K Puri, often regarded as the foremost historian of the movement, situates the Ghadar movement within Punjab’s broader social and political history, tracing its influence on the emergence of later left-wing and peasant movements in the region. Meanwhile, Ramnath’s book, Haj to Utopia (2011), connects Ghadar to anti-colonial movements across the world. Other significant works on the movement, by scholars such as Mark Juergensmeyer and Seema Sohi, connect Ghadar to the intertwined histories of racial exclusion abroad and colonial resistance at home.

— With sharply rising taxes, shrinking lands under their control, and the recurring onset of diseases among the population, Punjab’s peasantry was reduced to acute poverty. The inhabitants of Punjab soon realised that migration was the best way to escape the harsh conditions they were living in and earn for their families. Soon they landed on the South Pacific Coast Islands, in Burma, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Iran, Egypt, and East Africa, where they worked as watchmen and guards, earning a lot more than what they would have at home. Over time, as new opportunities emerged in Canada and North America, Punjab’s peasantry began migrating to these distant lands. Between 1903 and 1913, as noted by Puri in his 1993 book The Ghadar Movement, about 10,000 South Asian emigres had entered North America, the majority being from the rural region of Punjab.

— Apart from the peasants who migrated from better prospects, there were also students, like Kartar Singh Sarabha and Vishnu Ganesh Pingle, who travelled abroad for higher education. Then there were revolutionaries like Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and Madam Bhikaji Cama, who were exiled and were in Europe.

— On July 15, 1913, they formed the Hindi Association of the Pacific Coast in San Francisco, which would later become the Ghadar Party. The definite objective of the party, they laid out, was the end of British rule.

Conclusion:

— There was also the experience of racism and miscegenation laws outside of India that shaped the Ghadar movement. The 1914 Komagata Maru incident, when a ship carrying Indian migrants was turned away from Canada and then fired upon by British police on their return to Calcutta, stirred deep resentment among Punjabis across the world. It became a rallying cry for the Ghadar movement, convincing many that armed revolt was the only path to liberation from racism and colonial oppression.

— In 1915, fueled by the anger over the Komagata Maru incident, the Ghadar members planned an armed uprising to overthrow the British. The idea was to ignite simultaneous mutinies within the British Indian Army, particularly in Bengal, Punjab, and Burma. The plan, coordinated with help from Germany, aimed to seize key cantonments, capture arms, and trigger a nationwide rebellion similar to the uprising of 1857. However, the British found out about the plans and suppressed them before they could even begin.

(Source: Why the Ghadar movement is a neglected chapter in India and Punjab’s official histories)

Points to Ponder

Read more about the Ghadar Movement

Read about other movements for freedom during the early 19th century in India

Related Previous Year Questions

What were the events that led to the Quit India Movement? Point out its results. (2024)

Why did the ‘Moderates’ fail to carry conviction with the nation about their proclaimed ideology and political goals by the end of the nineteenth century? (2017)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 126)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 127)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 126)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 127)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 125)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 126)

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