Vande Mataram’s Forgotten Cricket Connection

On the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, this piece explores its surprising origin in a 19th-century cricket-field incident involving Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and its lasting link with Indian cricket celebrations.

Vande Mataram’s Forgotten Cricket Connection (Image Source: Google)

Recently the 'Vande Mataram' was in the news, on the 150th anniversary of its composition, with political colours. We shall not discuss politics here. In 1875, Bengali author Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, known as one of India's most influential 19th century thinkers, wrote a poem, which inspired the freedom fighters in the battle against British colonial rule over India. This poem was first published in his 1882 novel 'Anandmath' under the title 'Vande Mataram'. In 1937 it was accorded the status of the country's National Song.

You will be surprised to note that it has a strange cricket connection and many historians attribute the birth of this poem to an incident, which took place in a cricket match.

More than 150 years ago, a tiff was witnessed at the Barrack Square (now Square Field) in Berhampore (a city in West Bengal, located about 186 km from Kolkata) playground.The incident dates back to December 15, 1873 and Col. Duffin, was then Commanding Officer at Berhampore Cantonment. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, was the Deputy Collector of Murshidabad District, posted at Berhampore at that time.

On that day, some British soldiers were playing a cricket match at the Square Field. Incidentally Bankim Babu was returning back from work on a palanquin (a big covered box-like vehicle usually with a seat for one person, attached to poles and is carried on shoulders by four or six men), around the same time. The palanquin bearers on their own, decided to take a short cut and to go across the Square Field instead of taking the road route. Bankim Babu was not aware of this change.

The passing of the palanquin, obstructed the cricket match and this annoyed the British soldiers and became the cause of confrontation. Col. Duffin, lost his temper and in a fit of rage, stopped the palanquin, pulled Bankim Babu down from it and volleyed four-five punches at him. Bankim Babu was of a gentle nature and did not retaliate but he felt very insulted. The spectators to the incident included some reputed persons like Principal Robert Hand, Reverend Barlow, Judge Benbridge, Raja Jogindra Narayan Roy of Lalgola, Durgacharan Bhattacharya, some British officers and a few other natives and they all were witness to the brawl.

This incident shook Bankim Babu as he was the serving Deputy Collector and felt humiliated. He did not stay silent and on the next day, filed a lawsuit against Col. Duffin at Mr Winter’s court, the District Magistrate of Murshidabad. This became very big news.

The local support was with Bankim Babu to such an extent that Col. Duffin couldn’t find a lawyer from Murshidabad to represent him and had to hire a lawyer from Krishnanagore, Nadia to defend him.

As expected, all the British origin eyewitnesses, except one, denied the incident or having seen the beating of Bankim Babu during the match. Only Principal Robert Hand admitted the confrontation but the defendant counsel tried to prove that his poor eyesight barred his view and as such he is not a reliable witness.

On January 12, 1874, the day of final verdict, the scene at the District Magistrate court was stupefying since morning. Before the start of the proceedings, the Judge requested the Magistrate to see him in the chamber. A few minutes later, Col. Duffin and Bankim Chandra were also summoned to the chamber. Bankim Babu was advised to withdraw the case and after prolonged persuasion, he agreed but on the condition that Col. Duffin shall apologise in the open court.

Col. Duffin agreed to it but this didn’t end his agony. The local crowd was very hostile towards him. Whenever Col. Duffin folded his hands for an apology and tried to speak, the youths present in the courtroom started clapping, laughing and shouting ‘ho-ho’. Col. Duffin felt humiliated and the seeds of revenge were ploughed.

The elimination of Bankim Babu was planned but on a tip-off Bankim Babu was shifted to Lalgola, in a bid to save him. Here, incidentally he stayed in a Guest House near some temples and this inclined him towards spirituality. Even then, he couldn’t forget the beating by a Gora and this kept on troubling his psyche. His frustrations refused to die. Now he had a different mission and from here, the story of his fight against the British Raj started.

Bankim Chandra coined the ‘Vande Mataram’ and this poem inspired the natives for the years to come. The first edition of his novel Anandamath was published in April 1882. Since he was a Govt. servant, he was pressurized to revise the contents of his novel. He instead took voluntary retirement from the job in 1885-86. The National Song continues to stir our souls, for the love of our Motherland, a powerful testament to patriotism and unity across India.

By the way, the ‘Vande Mataram’ now sung (or played) at India’s cricket matches,especially after wins, is not the iconic patriotic song from Bankim Chandra's novel Anandamath, but a powerful rendition by A.R. Rahman in the film Independence Day. This has become a powerful massive crowd-unison, signifying national pride, unity, and post-victory celebrations, famously seen in the 2011World Cup and T20 World Cup wins.