NEW DELHI: The government on Sunday pushed back at the criticism over the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite “Abide With Me” from the repertoire of the tunes to be played on Beating Retreat, saying that few could understand or relate to the solemn hymn.
“Abide With Me” written by Scottish Anglican Henry Francis Lyte in 1847 as he was dying of tuberculosis is a prayer for God to remain with him through life and in death is a very popular military tune, but the lyrics of the song are understood by just a few”, said a source in the wake of all the criticism of the change.
Official sources said the hymn has been replaced with “Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon”, the patriotic song that was composed in the wake of defeat in the 1962 war with China and commemorates the sacrifices made by the armed forces. The song, written by Kavi Pradeep and composed by C Ramchandra, was first sung by Lata Mangeshkar in the presence of the then PM Jawaharlal Nehru as the nation reeled under the trauma of the military debacle.
“The celebrated song has universal appeal and is an apt tribute to the brave soldiers of our Indian armed forces who have laid down their lives for our nation. The song imbibes a sense of sacrifice and our respect for those who have made sacrifices for our country over the past 75 years,” sources said, adding that Kavi Pradeep’s tribute to the martyrs drawn from different regions also represented the “unity in diversity” feature of nationhood.
Sources reiterated that the replacement of “Abide With Me” was part of a process under way for decades where the tunes handed down from the country’s colonial past have been replaced by ones composed here.
“Abide With Me” written by Scottish Anglican Henry Francis Lyte in 1847 as he was dying of tuberculosis is a prayer for God to remain with him through life and in death is a very popular military tune, but the lyrics of the song are understood by just a few”, said a source in the wake of all the criticism of the change.
Official sources said the hymn has been replaced with “Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon”, the patriotic song that was composed in the wake of defeat in the 1962 war with China and commemorates the sacrifices made by the armed forces. The song, written by Kavi Pradeep and composed by C Ramchandra, was first sung by Lata Mangeshkar in the presence of the then PM Jawaharlal Nehru as the nation reeled under the trauma of the military debacle.
“The celebrated song has universal appeal and is an apt tribute to the brave soldiers of our Indian armed forces who have laid down their lives for our nation. The song imbibes a sense of sacrifice and our respect for those who have made sacrifices for our country over the past 75 years,” sources said, adding that Kavi Pradeep’s tribute to the martyrs drawn from different regions also represented the “unity in diversity” feature of nationhood.
Sources reiterated that the replacement of “Abide With Me” was part of a process under way for decades where the tunes handed down from the country’s colonial past have been replaced by ones composed here.
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