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Bharat Mata Debates at Kerala Raj Bhavan
IN THE SPAN of a week, Kerala has seen two rows break out over a portrait of ‘Bharat Mata’. First, the LDF state government relocated its World Environment Day celebrations from the Raj Bhavan, claiming the photo of Bharat Mata on display was "used by the RSS". But, days later, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar paid tribute to the same image during Goa Day celebrations at the Raj Bhavan.
When objecting to the use of the image at Raj Bhavan, CPI leader and Agriculture Minister P Prasad said, "A seat of a constitutional body should not be using this."
Arlekar, who recently took over as Governor after a long period of fractious relationship between the LDF government and Raj Bhavan, hit back, saying, "Whatever be the pressure from whichever quarters, there will be no compromise whatsoever on Bharat Mata."
State BJP leader N Hari also attacked the LDF, claiming they are "afraid to say Bharat Mata due to vote bank politics."
While the symbolic icon of Bharat Mata, or Mother India, has often been depicted in art, there is no official version of the portrayal. The image used at the Kerala Raj Bhavan depicted Bharat Mata holding a saffron flag in front of a relief map of India. The CPI used the Tricolour image at a local party event, which was quickly withdrawn.
How has Bharat Mata been depicted?
In the history of modern Indian art, Bharat Mata has adorned the canvas of only two artists of repute. First, Abanindranath Tagore, who first visualized the Indian nation as the Mother. Second, M F Husain, whose painting of Bharat Mata was banned and trashed.
What were the early criticisms around Bharat Mata?
Several historians have pointed out that Bharat Mata as visualized by its pioneers was more a "Banga Mata," with deities instead of popular mother deities like Kali and Durga. In Vande Mataram, Bankim called upon only the "sapt koti" or seven crore people of Bengal.
The first critics of the metaphor came from among its inventors. Aurobindo Ghose, 15 years after the Partition of Bengal, underscored the limits of the slogan and sought a greater mantra.
How has Bharat Mata imagery been used recently?
The Anna Hazare movement of 2011 used the image of Bharat Mata as the rallying point for an anti-corruption crusade. More recently, in February 2023, the Indian Council for Historical Research faced "objections" over a photo of Bharat Mata in its office.
The recent controversies over ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ slogan
In early 2016, after allegedly anti-India slogans at Jawaharlal Nehru University, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said youth should be taught to chant "Bharat Mata ki Jai." AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi shot back, saying he would not chant it even if a knife were put to his throat, prompting the Shiv Sena to tell Owaisi to "go to Pakistan."
Later, in March 2016, AIMIM MLA Waris Pathan was suspended from the Maharashtra Assembly for refusing to say "Bharat Mata ki Jai" but said he was willing to chant "Jai Hind."
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the slogan was "being misused to construct a militant and purely emotional idea of India that excludes millions of residents and citizens" in 2020.
In summary, Bharat Mata, or Mother India, has been a contentious topic over the years, primarily due to its symbolic overtones and the way it has been interpreted by various political and community leaders. Despite recent repressions, the symbolic force of the image persists, reflecting the complex history and evolving cultural landscape of India.
