Congress MP: Replace 'Sindh' with 'Northeast' in National Anthem

New Delhi, Mar 16 Congress MP Ripun Bora has moved a resolution in Rajya Sabha looking amendments to the National Anthem to replace the word 'Sindh' with 'North East'. "North East is a important part of India, tragically that it isn't part of the national song of praise. On other hand, Sindh is mentioned, which is not a longer part of India but part of Pakistan, which is a hostile country," Ripun Bora said after he moved the private member's resolution in the Upper House.

"This House urges upon the government to amemd the National Anthem to erase the words 'Sindh' and replace the words 'Northeast India' in the National Anthem," he said in the resolution submitted.

He also stated in the resolution: "the National Anthem of India 'Jana Gana Mana' mentions Sindh which is not any more piece of India; the Northeast India, which is an essential piece of India, finds no say in the National Anthem, the then President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, had created an impression in the Constituent Assembly on 24th January, 1950 that the piece comprising of the words and music known as the Jana Gana Mana is the National Anthem of India, subject to such adjustments in the words, for example, Government may approve as event emerges."

Earlier in 2016, Shiv Sena member Arvind Sawant had raised the issue up in Lok Sabha demanding the word 'Sindh' be expelled from the national anthem and replaced with a proper word, saying there was no state by that name in the nation.

Raising the issue up in Lok Sabha, he had said that as the national anthem was adopted by Parliament, it should initiate action to remove the word.

National anthem 'Jana Gana Mana', created by Nobel laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore in 1911, was adopted by the Constituent Assembly in 1950.