Singing of 'Amar Sonar Bangla' at Assam Congress event triggers political uproar in India

A political controversy in India's northeastern state of Assam over the singing of "Amar Sonar Bangla" - Bangladesh's national anthem - has drawn attention in Bangladesh, where the song holds deep cultural and historical roots shared across both nations.

The incident took place on 27 October in Assam's Sribhumi district, part of the Bengali-speaking Barak Valley that borders Bangladesh. A video from a Congress Seva Dal meeting showed 80-year-old senior party member Vidhu Bhusan Das singing two lines of "Amar Sonar Bangla" while others remained seated, says NDTV.

Written by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1905 as a protest against the first partition of Bengal, "Amar Sonar Bangla" celebrates the natural beauty and emotional attachment Bengalis feel for their land. Bangladesh later adopted the song as its national anthem upon independence in 1971. Tagore also wrote India's national anthem, "Jana Gana Mana."

BJP reaction and legal action

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam reacted sharply, calling the act "anti-national." Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described it as "an act of grave disrespect to the nation and its people" and ordered police to file a case of treason against the local Congress leaders, reports the Deccan Herald.

Sarma alleged that the Congress event began with the Bangladesh national anthem instead of India's, performed "by showing the same respect we do for our national anthem." He also linked the incident to "territorial claims" allegedly made by some Bangladeshi groups, saying it was "an endorsement of the claim that the northeast will eventually be part of Bangladesh."

Other BJP leaders echoed the charge. Assam Minister Ashok Singhal claimed Congress had long encouraged "illegal Miya infiltration" to alter the state's demography for "Greater Bangladesh" politics. Fisheries Minister Krishnendu Paul said the song's performance showed the party's "love for Bangladesh," arguing that Congress "gave birth to Pakistan and Bangladesh was a part of Pakistan."

Congress defends song as cultural expression

Congress leaders dismissed the BJP's allegations, calling them politically motivated.

"Don't play politics with Rabindranath Tagore," said Sribhumi District Congress president Tapas Purkayastha. "Criticizing the song insults Tagore."

Gaurav Gogoi, Congress MP and deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, said the BJP was creating "an unnecessary controversy" to divert attention from other issues. He added that "Amar Sonar Bangla" carries "historical and cultural significance" and that the ruling party "fails to understand the beauty of a composition by a Nobel laureate."

Gogoi further accused the BJP of "insulting the Bengali language and its people," saying it only acknowledges the community "during elections."

Geopolitical backdrop

The controversy unfolds amid strained India–Bangladesh relations following political changes in Dhaka, where India's long-time ally Sheikh Hasina fled earlier this year.

The BJP in Assam linked the anthem incident to a recent dispute over a map featured on the cover of "Art of Triumph: Bangladesh's New Dawn," a book presented by Bangladesh's interim Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus to Pakistan's Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Sahir Shamshad Mirza. The map depicted parts of India's northeastern states as part of Bangladesh.

Sarma cited the map to reinforce his allegation that the Congress event "endorsed" claims that the Northeast is "part and parcel of Bangladesh."

National identity and cultural sensitivity

The controversy underscores long-standing tensions between cultural identity and national allegiance in India's northeast, where Bengali heritage straddles both sides of the border.

Congress leaders view "Amar Sonar Bangla" as a symbol of shared heritage rather than foreign nationalism, while the BJP sees its performance as a breach of Indian sovereignty. The debate highlights how cultural symbols linked to Bengal's history have become politically charged in the region's polarized climate.

Legal fallout

Following Sarma's directive, police were ordered to register a case of treason against the Sribhumi District Congress Committee and its members, including Vidhu Bhusan Das. Sarma said arrests would follow and accused Congress leader Gogoi of supporting the act by failing to take disciplinary action.

While the BJP demanded expulsions and legal prosecution, the Congress maintained that the singing was not political. As of now, no details have emerged on whether arrests were made or if the treason case advanced.