Both the songs secured their ‘tryst with destiny’ when the Constituent Assembly, which was convened at the moment of India’s independence, started its historic session with ‘Vande Mataram’ and signed off with ‘Jana Gana Mana’. Finally, on January 24, 1950, the Assembly officially declared ‘Jana Gana Mana’ as the national anthem and ‘Vande Mataram’ the national song. Current Status Historians believe that Hindu nationalists within the Congress lobbied for ‘Vande Mataram’ as the national anthem. But the Muslim League thought it was anti-Islam. The debate has lived on, rocking Parliament even in 2006. In its long journey, ‘Jana Gana Mana’, too, has faced controversies: Vilified for not being representative, taken to court for including Sindh, and criticised for paying homage to Emperor George V.
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