Shankar Mahadevan, a renowned singer and composer, is reportedly working on a new version of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) anthem, ‘Namaste Sada Vatsale Matribhume’. The anthem, which is sung at the beginning and end of every RSS event, is a Sanskrit prayer that pays homage to the motherland and seeks divine blessings for the Hindu nation.
According to sources, Mahadevan has been approached by the RSS to compose a larger musical ensemble for the anthem, which will include more instruments and singers. The aim is to make the anthem more appealing and inspiring for the younger generation and the international audience. The new version is expected to be ready by next year.
Mahadevan, who is a part of the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio that writes music for Indian films, is also a follower of the RSS ideology. He has performed at several RSS events in the past and has expressed his admiration for the organisation. He has also composed songs for other Hindu nationalist groups, such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The RSS anthem was first publicly sung by RSS pracharak Yadav Rao Joshi on May 18, 1940 in Sangh Shiksha Varg held at Nagpur. It was written by Narhari Narayan Bhide, a Sanskrit professor, in guidance of Dr. K.B. Hedgewar and Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar, the first and second chiefs of the RSS respectively. The anthem has 13 lines, including three verses and one slogan. It is compulsory to sing this prayer in all programs of the RSS.
The RSS is a Hindu nationalist organisation that claims to be a cultural and social service group. It was founded in 1925 by Dr. K.B. Hedgewar as a response to the British colonial rule and the Muslim separatist movement. It is widely regarded as the ideological mentor of the BJP, which is currently ruling India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The RSS has been accused of being involved in several incidents of religious violence and intolerance in India, such as the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 and the Gujarat riots in 2002.
