Letters to the Editor: Why 'Abide by Me' dropped?

Why 'Abide by Me' dropped?

Prior to the celebration of 73rd Republic Day, the Defence Ministry had decided to drop the Christian hymn 'Abide by Me' to be played at the Beating Retreat ceremony on 29th January. According to the official communique, the official list includes 26 tunes of the military band doesn't include the hymn composed by Scottish poet Henry Francis Lyte. 'Abide by Me' tune has been part of the Beating Retreat ceremony since 1950 but was dropped from the list in the year 2020. It created a lot of hue and cry as the opposition cried it is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi because that particular hymn is considered one of his favourites. This year the Scottish composition was dropped and replaced by Vande Mataram, which is also considered a favourite of Gandhiji. Now the real concern of the opposition for Gandhiji's sentiment has come to the fore. The 'super secularists' political gangs of India are crying that playing Vande Mataram at such an auspicious ceremony will hurt the religious sentiments of a particular section though Vande Mataram is one of the time favourites of Gandhiji, they find 'Abide by Me' hymn a very secular. Will that gang curse Gandhiji for liking Vande Mataram, that too composed by two great sons of India – Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and Rabindranath Tagore? Today's Congresspeople along with the leftist brigade's only concern is to please a particular religious section even at the cost of national integrity, security and prestige.

The Beating Retreat ceremony marks the formal culmination of the week-long Republic Day celebrations. The grand ceremony is held in Raisina Hills and sees the performances by bands of three wings of Armed forces- Army, Navy and Air Force.

Julie Bhuyan,

Gaurisagar.