*Dr Michael Lobo* *Camelot, Bijey Church Road*
*Mangalore 575 004, India* *Tel: 91-824-2212349* *Cell: 91-98441 12364* *26 January 2021* Dear Friends on this Forum, My last article to this group was entitled “Reflections on Pride and Prejudice”. I wonder if anybody presumed that I was referring to the book by Jane Austen. That book is indeed a classic. I read it for the first time as quite a young child. One passage in particular is indelibly etched in my memory. The heroine of the story, Elizabeth Bennet, had just received a proposal of marriage from an acquaintance named Mr Collins, a pompous bore. But he was a man of some means and Elizabeth’s mother was of the opinion that his offer was too good to be refused. She urged Elizabeth to accept the proposal – *or I will never see you again.* Fortunately for Elizabeth, her father came to her rescue: *An unhappy alternative lies before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr Collins – and I will never see you again if you do !!* Dear friends, I must have first read this book as a child in the early 1960s. Today is Republic Day and my thoughts go back to the only time I was physically present at the parade. That was exactly 60 years ago – 26 January 1961. My parents were posted in Delhi at the time. My maternal uncle, Praxy Fernandes, an IAS officer, was on official duty at the Republic Day celebrations. A few words about my distinguished uncle. He was born on 21 July 1926 – exactly three months after the birth of Princess Elizabeth, grand-daughter of King George V and Queen Mary – though as her father, Prince Albert, was the second son of the monarch, few would have thought that Elizabeth was destined to succeed to the throne (and usher in a second Elizabethan era). After a brilliant academic career (BA Hons, 1st class 1st in Bombay University, Ellis Prize for English, Lord Minto Scholarship for History, Sir Curzon Wadia Gold Medal), Praxy Fernandes joined the first I.A.S. batch after independence and served for 30 years holding eminent positions - Political Advisor, International Commission in Vietnam; Chief Secretary, Goa; Home Secretary, Karnataka; Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprises; and Finance Secretary, Government of India. After serving in the United Nations for six years, he settled in Bangalore. In his retirement, he continued to be a consultant to the World Bank, ILO and UNCTAD and was UNIDO's principal advisor to African Industrial Development. He wrote books on Finance, Management and Public Enterprises, and a historical work *Storm over Seringapatam*, which provides a new insight into the characters of Hyder Ali and Tippu Sultan. He was a prolific middle writer, and a popular toastmaster. Perhaps to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Delhi Durbar of 1911 – presided over by King George V and Queen Mary – the Government of India made a decision to invite their grand-daughter Queen Elizabeth II as the Chief Guest for the 1961 Republic Day celebrations. A photograph of Queen Elizabeth greeting Praxy Fernandes is attached to this mail. Incidentally, the visit of King George and Queen Mary in 1911 marked the occasion when the future Indian national anthem was first performed – by its composer Rabindranath Tagore. Though I have gone into details of the history of our national anthem in older posts on this forum, it is worth doing so once again as there have been many changes in the membership of this group over the course of the past one year. Jana Gana Mana was first sung at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress in December 1911. As the freedom movement gained momentum, the popularity of the anthem increased – and no less a person than Mahatma Gandhi commented that “the song has found a place in our national life”. It was sung when Jawaharlal Nehru lowered the Union Jack and hoisted the Indian tricolour at midnight on 14 August 1947. It was formally adopted by the Indian Constituent Assembly as the National Anthem on 24 January 1950 – just two days before the proclamation of the Republic of India. The original poem comprised five stanzas; only the first was adopted as the National Anthem. * Jana gana mana adhinayaka jaya he* * Bharata bhagya vidhata!* * Punjaba, Sindha, Gujarata, Maratha* * Dravida, Utkala, Banga!* *Vindhya, Himachala, Yamuna, Ganga Uchchala jaladhi taranga.* * Tava shubha name jage* * Tava shubha ashisha mage* * Gahe tava jaya gatha!* * Jana gana mangala dayaka jaya he* * Bharatha bhagya vidhata!* * Jaya hé! Jaya hé! Jaya hé!* * Jaya, Jaya, Jaya, Jaya hé!* These words translate as: * Thou art the ruler of the minds of the people* * O Dispenser of India’s Destiny!* * Thy name rouses the hearts of the Punjab,* * Sind, Gujarat, Maratha, of Dravida, Orissa, and Bengal!* *It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas* *It mingles in the rhapsodies of the Jamuna and Ganga,* *And is chanted by the waves of the Indian Ocean.* *They chant only Thy name* *They seek only Thy auspicious blessings* *They sing only of the glory of Thy victory!* *The salvation of all people waits in Thy hands* *O Dispenser of India's destiny!* * (Victory to thee!) x 3* * Victory, Victory, Victory, Victory to Thee!* The question that I would like to discuss in this article is “How appropriate is a hymn to God a choice for a country’s national anthem?” Before reflecting on this question, a point should be noted. This hymn is unusual in that there is no specific reference to a supreme being, unless the express *Bharata bhagya vidhata* (Dispenser of India’s destiny) can be construed as a metaphor for the Almighty. Nevertheless the absence of a definite reference could give rise to misunderstanding. It is certainly conceivable that similar songs of praise may have been written for the Mughal emperors of medieval India or even for conquerors of ancient times such as Alexander the Great. Alexander, despite his conquest of northern India, is regarded as a hero of Indian history, as is evidenced by the fact that he was the subject of one of the pioneer Bollywood films – *Secundar* (1941) – with Prithviraj Kapoor in the title role. Many Indian members of this forum may be aware that the composition of the anthem by Tagore coincided with the visit to India of King George V and Queen Mary in December 2011. The king had just been crowned in England following the death of his father Edward VII, and the visit was for the purpose of a second coronation as “Emperor of India” at the Coronation Durbar in Delhi that was being organized especially for this purpose. From Delhi the king and queen proceeded to Calcutta, where the king, in his capacity of Emperor of India, chaired the meeting of the Indian National Congress on 27 December 1911. It was here that, for the first time, Tagore gave a performance of *Bharata bhagya vidhata*, and as the king was seated in the presidential chair, it was assumed by many that Tagore intended it as a song of welcome to the new emperor of India – and was reported as such by several contemporary newspapers. Unfortunately, Tagore did not trouble to publicly contradict these reports, but decades later he wrote to a friend: *A certain high official in His Majesty**’**s service, who was also my friend, requested that I write a song of felicitation towards the Emperor. The request simply amazed me. It caused a great stir in my heart. In response to that great mental turmoil, I pronounced the victory in **“**Jana Gana Mana**”** of that Bhagya Vidhata (God of Destiny) of India, who has, from age after age, held steadfast the reins of India**’**s chariot through rise and fall, through the straight path and the curved. That Lord of Destiny, that Reader of the Collective Mind of India, that Perennial Guide, could never be George V, George VI, or any other George. Even my official friend understood this about the song. After all, even if his admiration for the crown was excessive, he was not lacking in simple common sense.* In my personal opinion, if Tagore had intended his words as a hymn to God, it was – to say the least – unwise of him to have performed it in the presence of the visiting monarch who had just been crowned “Emperor of India”. It is true that while the song was being performed, King George would have understood hardly a word, with the possible exception of the proper nouns – and, indeed, the reference to the Vindhyas, Himalayas, Yamuna and Ganga may even have conveyed the impression that the song simply extolled the mountains, rivers, and other natural wonders of India. But what if the king had been presented with an English translation and read the words: *Your name rouses the hearts of the Punjab, * *Sind, Gujarat, Maratha, of Dravida, Orissa, and Bengal!* *It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas* *It mingles in the rhapsodies of the Jamuna and Ganga,* *And is chanted by the waves of the Indian Ocean.* Would it have been obvious to King George V, newly crowned Emperor of India, that these words – recited before his Imperial chair at the Congress – could only be a paean to the Almighty? Prior to his arrival at India, King George would doubtless have been briefed about Indian cultural and religious traditions. While his understanding of Hinduism may have been limited, the one point that is likely to have been impressed on his mind was that native Hindus were polytheistic – and would have no concept of a unique ‘Almighty’ – as in the God of the Judaeo-Christian tradition. A hymn to a Hindu deity would in all probability have addressed that deity by name. In fact there is little doubt that the king would have assumed that the words were addressed to himself. If he thought that the praise was overblown, he would simply have put it down to the natural sycophancy of the native Indian – a point to which I will return later. Indeed, he may even have thought that the Indians perceived their emperor as divine in much the same way as the contemporary Chinese identified their emperor as the “Son of Heaven” (at the time of the Coronation Durbar in 1911, the Chinese were still under the rule of an Imperial dynasty, but this tradition that dates back millennia finally came to an end in 1916). And so I repeat: if Tagore had intended his words as a hymn to God, it was injudicious of him to have performed it in the presence of the visiting monarch who had just been crowned “Emperor of India”. But, howsoever unpalatable it may be to patriotic Indians, it must be admitted that there is at least a theoretical possibility that Tagore genuinely intended *Jana Gana Mana* as a song of welcome to King George V. In his later years, as the Indian freedom struggle grew more fervent, he may have felt embarrassed about this – but fortunately, as there was no explicit mention of George V in the lyrics, the song of praise could be construed as being addressed not to the king but to the “King of Kings”. A couple of points must now be noted. First, if Tagore had intended *Jana Gana Mana* as a song of welcome to King George, it might appear that he was being obsequious, that he was indulging in outrageous flattery. I would counter this criticism by saying that it is never proper to judge the morals and standards of earlier eras by the norms of what is considered befitting today. A century ago, sycophancy was a way of life. When King George V and Queen Mary arrived at the Coronation Durbar in Delhi, they were duly escorted to palatial thrones – carried by palanquins – and formally crowned Emperor and Empress of India, while princes from the native states across the length and breadth of India arrived to pay them homage. One by one, they came forward, bowed before the royal couple, and then gracefully retreated, taking care to ensure that their backs were never turned to their Imperial Majesties. On returning to their native lands these princes would have in turn been greeted by their menials and lackeys in an even more sycophantic manner. The second point that should be noted is that various factors are involved in the choice of a national anthem – and the history of the song is not a primary consideration. Indeed, the national anthems of some countries can be traced back to events that are now best forgotten. Consider, for example, the British national anthem *God, Save the King*. Its origins are obscure, but the version as it is sung today first appeared in print in 1744 at the time of the Jacobite invasion. This was the last attempt at placing the Catholic descendants of England’s Stuart kings on the throne. In the 18th century, England was a staunchly Protestant country and so the anthem constituted a sincere prayer for the safety and well-being of the Protestant king (George II) – and the first two verses were: *1. God save our Lord the King* * Long live our noble king* * God save the king!* * Send him victorious* * Happy and glorious* * Long to reign over us* * God save the king!* *2. Oh Lord our God arise* * Scatter our enemies* * And make them fall;* * Confound their politics* * Frustrate their knavish tricks* * In thee our hopes we fix* * God save us all!* The second verse – which is a reference to the Catholic Jacobite enemies of the Crown – remains a part of the official lyrics even today, though it was not sung at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Likewise the US national anthem *The Star Spangled Banner* derives from an 1814 poem “Defense of Fort Henry”, relating to an incident in the US-British War of 1812. The verses clearly relate to an incident in a battle and one of them incorporates – among other controversial expressions – a reference to hireling and slave and the gloom of the grave. Of course Lady Gaga did not include these verses in her rendition of the US national anthem at the recent ‘coronation’ of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. The Indian national anthem might have started out as a song of praise to King George V. What probably hurts the sentiments of patriotic Indians is the fact that this song of praise was addressed to the monarch of the country that the freedom movement sought to overthrow. Had it originated as a song of praise to some ancient Indian king or even one of the Mughal emperors, it may have been more palatable. It is no wonder that patriotic historians make every effort to ‘prove’ that *Jana Gana Mana*, from the time of its birth, had always been an address to God. I now wish to focus on an issue that is perhaps more serious than the question of whether the newborn *Jana Gana Mana* had been addressed to King George or to the Eternal King. As I mentioned earlier, the choice of a national anthem ought to be based on factors that are of greater import than the song’s history. Personally, I do not feel it is of major consequence whether *Jana Gana Mana* started out as a song of praise to an ancient Hindu maharajah or to a medieval Muslim Mughal emperor or to a Christian king of England or to the Sovereign Lord of the Universe (who may not even exist). What is of consequence is the question: Even assuming that *Jana Gana Mana* had always been intended as an address to God, how appropriate is such a hymn a choice for a country’s national anthem? A national anthem, after all, ought to be a tribute to the nation – to the motherland. There are, of course, other national anthems that address the Almighty. Apart from *God, Save the Queen*, there is *God, Defend New Zealand* and *God, Bless Africa* (as well as others). The latter song (Xhosa: *Nkosi Sikelil iAfrika*) was the national anthem of the African National Congress from 1925 and was adopted as the national anthem of the Republic of South Africa when apartheid was abolished in 1994. But *Jana Gana Mana* is unique in that it is not exactly an expression of love for one’s motherland in that it does not pray to God to bless, defend or protect it. It is simply a hymn of praise to a higher power – praise that attains the point of sycophancy. *Jana Gana Mana* may be a hymn of praise to God, but it does not really seem that way to the countless Indians (including atheists) who stand at attention whenever the national anthem is performed. Instead, the reference to the various states of India – I should say Undivided India – conveys the impression of a motherland symbolizing unity and diversity. Children chanting *Vindhya, Himachala, Yamuna, Ganga* may reflect on the beauty of their country’s mountains and rivers. Even the concluding words *Jaya h**é**!* may be construed as *Jai Hind!* or “Glory to the motherland” rather than “Glory to God”. If *Jana Gana Mana* is a hymn of praise to God, it may be best in this instance to regard God as a divine personification of Mother India – of Undivided India. Dear friends on this forum, I will conclude this article with an attachment of a recording of an English-language song that is a genuine tribute to the land of India – and, accordingly, deserves serious consideration as a second national anthem (or, if you prefer, English-language anthem). Its title is simply “Song of India”. Its exotic melody, entitled *Chanson Indoue*, is from the Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera *Sadko* (1896). There have been various attempts to fit words to the melody. The recording attached here is by Mario Lanza in 1953. The words – by American lyricist Johnny Mercer – are reproduced below. *And still the snowy Himalayas rise* *In ancient majesty before our eyes* *Beyond the plains, above the pines,* *While through the ever, never changing land* *As silently as any native band* *That moves at night, the Ganges shines.* *Then I hear the song that only India can sing* *Softer than the plumage on a black raven’s wing;* *High upon a minaret I stand* *And gaze across the desert sand* *Upon an old enchanted land,* *There’s the Maharajah’s caravan* *Unfolding like a painted fan* *How small the little race of man!* *See them all parade across the ages* *All the kings and slaves from history’s pages* *Played on one of nature’s vastest stages,* *The turbaned Sikhs and beggars line the streets* *While holy men in shadowed calm retreats* *Pray through the night and watch the stars.* *A lonely plane flies off to meet the dawn* *While down below the busy life goes on* *And women crowd the old bazaars.* *All are in the song that only India can sing* *India, the jewel of the East.*