New Delhi: To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the national song Vande Mataram, Vidya Bharati Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Sansthan is organising the nationwide ‘Namami Bharatam’ campaign on September 25.
More than one crore students, teachers, parents and citizens are expected to participate in the initiative, singing the complete Vande Mataram simultaneously at more than 25,000 locations across the country. The programme is scheduled to begin at 11 am under the theme, “One Voice – One Resolve – One India.”
The organisers said the campaign is intended not only as a mass singing programme but also as an effort to familiarise the younger generation with the historical journey of Vande Mataram, its association with India’s freedom movement and its place in the country’s public life.
As part of the campaign, schools are conducting discussions, conferences, exhibitions and cultural programmes focusing on the role of Vande Mataram during the freedom struggle and its contribution to fostering a sense of national identity.
The large-scale initiative has also been nominated for consideration by the Asia Book of Records and the India Book of Records, according to the organisers.
In Delhi, more than one lakh people are expected to participate at around 300 locations, said Dr Satish Maheshwari, General Secretary of Vidya Bharati (Delhi Province).
Organisers said the ‘Namami Bharatam’ campaign seeks to mark the 150-year journey of Vande Mataram while connecting young people with the history of the freedom movement, Indian cultural traditions and the idea of national unity.
