Patriotism gets better with verse

Patriotism has hit a high note, literally! Knowing that deshbhakti songs are an all-time favourite with our men in khaki.
Remember Leander Paes' tear-streaked face as the National Anthem played in the background while he stood on the podium to receive his Olympic medal? Another instance, again involving Paes, is how he requested for the song Mohe Rang de Basanti from Rakesh OmPrakash Mehra's Rang De Basanti to be played before India's Davis Cup tie with Pakistan.Well, it's no surprise then that patriotic songs, for those so inclined, can do wonders to their morale and really charge them up to take on the adversary ��� be it the enemy within or the one(s) across the border.
From ballads of bravery to anti-imperialism songs or those which talk of our encounters with hostile neighbours ��� Pakistan, China ��� and the enemy within, we have heard them all and loved them all. But seldom do we pause to talk to our bravehearts and find out which patriotic song is closest to their heart. And that sure is a tough task given our phenomenal repertoire of deshbhakti geet right from 1870's Vande Mataram to 2006's Rang De Basanti.
Athens Olympics silver medallist ace shooter Lt Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who got his shooting practice while hunting down terrorists in J&K, takes some time to ponder before coming up with his favourite patriotic number, which is ��� Kandhon se milte hain kandhe, kadmo se kadam milte hain from Farhan Akhtar's Lakshya. "There is this feeling of unity in the song which really appeals to me. It is something which binds us together," he avers.
However, not everyone is so clued in to Bollywood tunes. Gopichand Pandey, proud father of Kargil war hero Param Vir Chakra recipient Captain Manoj Pandey who sacrificed his life for the country, says: "Manoj was a fauji by birth. He was never interested in routine civil life and was very clear about his priorities in life. For him, this meant just one thing ��� a life dedicated to deshbhakti. Though he did not care much for music and songs, it was our national anthem Jan Gan Man that used to really inspire him."
Echoing astronaut Rakesh Sharma's famous observation from space about his motherland, former Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat says it is Saare Jahan Se Achcha, without a doubt. "The song by the well-known poet Iqbal, is about our people, the lovely people of India. Their smiles don't desert them whether they are posted on a mountain peak or a glacier. It's also about the common people who face life's adversities with fortitude, even cheerfully, despite having very little.
That's the spirit that this song has captured so beautifully," he says. "As for today's songs, you'll have to excuse me. I'm not jingoistic," he quips. For that matter, nor is former Border Security Force (BSF) DIG Air Commodore Vivek Yashwant Nehru. Says he: "I keep away from films, more so if it's a war film. I find these so-called patriotic films poorly made and highly over-rated. They glorify themselves by making a caricature of the enemy. However, I do like one song which brought tears to our first PM Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru's eyes: Lata Mangeshkar's immortal melody Ae mere watan ke logon...
Lata is former chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal SK Kaul's favourite too. Kaul, who won the Mahavir Chakra for his stellar role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war which saw the birth of Bangladesh says: "My favourite is Lata Mangeshkar's Vande Mataram from Anand Math. And you can guess why I like it. It's an old inspirational song which is against imperialism and truly patriotic. I don't care much for the newer ones, except maybe Sandese aate hain from Border. It does reflect the true nature of a soldier's life when he is on the front."
So, whichever front you might be battling on, here's wishing all of you a lyrical Gantantra Divas. Jai Hind!
rajnish.sharma@timesgroup.com