Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Thursday said Amar Sonar Bangla, now Bangladesh’s national anthem, was “an emotion for Bengalis”, after the Assam BJP government declared to file sedition charges against Congress leaders for singing the Tagore song at a party event.
“Amar Sonar Bangla song penned by Tagore in 1905 to protest Bengal’s partition by the British. First 10 lines adopted as Bangladesh national anthem only in 1971. ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’ is an emotion for all us Bengalis. Neither saffron chaddis nor their paid troll media will ever get it!” Moitra wrote on X.
The West Bengal unit of the Congress on Thursday called the BJP’s remarks against the song “an insult to Bengal’s cultural and emotional heritage.”
“‘Amar Sonar Bangla’ is the Soul of Bengal and a Symbol of Unity,” the party wrote on X, adding that the song remains “one of the most cherished creations of Nobel Laureate Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.”
The Congress stated that Tagore composed it in 1905 in response to the British decision under Lord Curzon to partition Bengal.
It added that “Amar Sonar Bangla” emerged as a symbol of unity and defiance during the Swadeshi Movement, representing the collective identity and hope of Bengal.
“When Bangladesh achieved independence in 1971, the newly formed nation chose ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’ as its national anthem; a fitting tribute to the song that had once inspired unity and resistance against oppression,” the statement said.
On October 27, during a meeting of the Congress Seva Dal in Sribhumi town, at Indira Bhavan, the party’s district office, Congress leader and poet Vidhu Bhushan Das was seen rendering a few lines from Amar Sonar Bangla, a song penned by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who also wrote India’s national anthem, Jana Gana Mana.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday, “Two days ago the district Congress unit of Sribhumi played the national song of Bangladesh instead of the national anthem of India. This is a blatant disrespect to the people of India and its national anthem.”
Sarma added, “This is in line with the claim of the leading citizens of Bangladesh that Northeast India will be eventually part of Bangladesh. We see this claim as an endorsement by various Bangladesh citizens, organs of the government that Northeast is their part and parcel.”
Congress leader Satu Roy, reacting to the Assam government’s probe against party leaders, said, “We sang Bangladesh national anthem out of love for Rabindranath Tagore. BJP trying to change the meaning of ‘treason’ and ‘patriotism’.”
It accused the BJP and its affiliates of showing “sheer ignorance of history” and urged them to respect Bengal’s shared cultural values.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday accused the BJP of “insulting Bengali language and culture.”
He said, “It is a song composed by Rabindranath Tagore and conveys the sentiments of Bengali culture. The BJP has always insulted the Bengali language, Bengali culture and the people of Bengal. They have shown ignorance by not knowing the history of Rabindranath Tagore.”
