Lyric and background history of song desh desh nondito

Parjaay: Swadesh (16)

Taal: Ektaal

Raag: Mishra-Kedara

Written on: 1917 (19 Shravan 1324)

Published in: Bharati

Swarabitan: 16 (Geetapanchashika) / 47

Notation by: Dinendranath Tagore

Notes: This song was first sung at Calcutta on 26th July, 1917.

In the year 1915 an oppressive act, Defence of India, was passed by the then British Government in India. A large number of Indian young people were jailed only on the base of suspiction. About twelve hundred youngsters have been deported to remote and difficult places only from Bengal.

Just like the Nationalist Movement, young people were invited from schools and colleges. Regional Governments were fast to react; they had immediately announced the participation in political meetings and gatherings as illegal for the students studying in Government Institutions. As a result, the drive was on to set up National Institutions once again like the one that was taken ten years back. But this time the movement was spread across India instead of Bengal only. Annie Besant, along with two of her colleagues, was arrested for opening National University in Madras by Madras Government.

It has been three months since Rabindranath had returned from America. He had sounded a protest by writing an open letter on ‘The Bengali’. Kalidas Nag in his diary had written in 26th July, 1917 –

… I had been to see the Poet; he had sung a beautiful song to be presented in the meeting of ‘Home Rule’. …

The British Raj, quite obviously, did not permit the use of Town Hall for the meeting convened against the arrest of Annie Besant. Rabindranath read out the essay ‘Kartar Ichhay Karmo’in the Rammohan Library Hall on 4th August, 1917. This song was composed for this occasion. Neither of the auditoria was available for speeches. At last it was Mr.Madan, the owner of Alfred Hall (now Grace Cinema on the College Street), who had allowed to use his auditorium.

This song was sung by ‘Bichitrar Dal’ before the speech by Rabindranath and it was accompanied by Jagadindranath, the Raja of Natore, in pakhwaj. The incedent took place on 11th August, 1917 (26th Sharvan, 1324B).

Amol Hom in his memoir, Purushottam Rabindranath, writes –

… it was 1917. The demand for Autonomy has become stronger. The ‘Home Rule for India’, under the leadership of Annie Besant has been rolling across whole India.The British Government interns Mrs.Besant. A protest meeting was being arranged for, when the then Governor Ronaldsey intercepted and ordered to cancel the program. Surendranath Banerjee, Chittaranjan Das lead a team with a deputation in front of the then Governor General. The permission for the program was obtained after much requests and prayers. Meanwhile Rabindranath returned to Calcutta with his famous speech ‘Kartar Ichhay Karmo’. … One day Madanmohan Malaviya came to see Rabindranath. He had requested the poet to compose a song dedicated to the universal uprise. …

This song ‘Desh desh nondito kori …’ was composed on the next day.

This song was first sung on the stage of Rammohan Library on the day demarcated for reading esseys. The Tagore Memorial Special Suppliment, published along with The Calcutta Municipal Gazette on the September, 1941 read –

… Composed, at the request of Pundit Madanmohan Malaviya, his famous National song Desha Desha Nandita Kari Mandrita Taba Veri, which is sung for the first time at the meeting at Rammohan Library. …