Nehru's Anthem Pick: 'Jana Gana Mana' for Music, 'Vande Mataram' Trimmed for Unity

• PM Modi accused Congress and Nehru of dividing 'Vande Mataram' and sowing seeds of partition, reigniting debate on the song's history.
• Jawaharlal Nehru favored 'Jana Gana Mana' as the national anthem, citing 'Vande Mataram's' difficult tune for orchestral renditions and its "plaintive" nature.
• Nehru also noted 'Vande Mataram's' complex language and its focus on the struggle for freedom rather than the achievement of it.
• 'Vande Mataram' was trimmed to its first two stanzas by the Congress in 1937 to address Muslim objections, particularly regarding idol worship and communal tensions.
• The original song contained stanzas depicting Hindu monks fighting Muslim rulers, which fueled controversy and led to its shortened version being adopted as the national song.

Why It Matters: It reveals the historical and ongoing political debate over India's national anthem.