Swapna Kumbar , Bengaluru - Actor Mukesh Khanna has triggered a fresh debate by calling for “Vande Mataram” to replace “Jana Gana Mana” as India’s National Anthem. He claimed that Rabindranath Tagore’s anthem was written in praise of British royalty and argued that “Vande Mataram” better represents India.

Khanna said that “Jana Gana Mana” should be removed and that “Vande Mataram” should be adopted as the country’s National Anthem. He also suggested that steps were already being taken in this direction. However, the claim that Tagore wrote “Jana Gana Mana” to praise British royalty has long been disputed by historians. The song was composed in 1911, when King George V was visiting India, but scholars say the song’s subject was not the British monarch. Tagore himself rejected the interpretation that the song was written for any British king. He explained that the “dispenser of India’s destiny” mentioned in the song referred to a higher, timeless spiritual authority rather than a colonial ruler.

“Vande Mataram” already holds the official status of India’s National Song, while “Jana Gana Mana” is the National Anthem. The two compositions therefore occupy different but recognised positions in India’s national tradition. Khanna’s comments have drawn criticism because they combine a political demand with a historically contested claim. Critics argue that any discussion about changing national symbols should be based on documented evidence rather than an unverified interpretation of history.

Mukesh Khanna’s remarks have reopened an old debate over India’s national symbols and the history behind them. While “Vande Mataram” remains deeply important to India’s freedom movement, the claim that “Jana Gana Mana” was written to praise British royalty remains disputed and has been rejected by Tagore himself.