Mahatma Gandhi’s favorite tune removed from Republic Day Beating Retreat ceremony

The government has decided to remove the song ‘Abide with Me’, which marks the end of the Beating Retreat ceremony. In the military, the song has been part of a centuries-old tradition that was played during a war to mark the end of the battle for the day, in which soldiers lay down their arms and retreat from the battlefield. In India, the Beating Retreat ceremony, held every year on the evening of 29 January at Vijay Chowk in Delhi, marks the end of the Republic Day celebrations. The decision to remove the popular song comes a day after the government ‘shifted’ ‘Eternal Jwala’ from the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate to the nearby National War Memorial.

While it is believed that the original flame will remain at the India Gate, which honors the ‘Unknown Soldier’, government sources said, “there are only a few martyrs who died in World War I and the Anglo-Afghan War by the British. fought for and thus it is a symbol of our colonial past.” Significantly, more than 74,000 Indian soldiers were killed while fighting in the First World War.

The Beating Retreat ceremony remains in place despite its colonial heritage, but every Western song that has been part of it has been replaced by modern Indian martial tunes. Due to this, the original form of this ceremony is being changed.

‘Abide with me’, Mahatma Gandhi’s favorite song, is a prayer to God to be with the speaker during life and death. The song was written by Scottish author Henry Francis Light in 1847. When he wrote this song, he was very close to death due to tuberculosis.

This year, 44 buglers, 16 trumpets and 75 drummers from six bands will play the song ‘Saare Jahan Se Achcha’ with 25 tunes as the final song of the ceremony. Bands include the Army, Navy, Air Force as well as the Central Armed Police Forces, and pipe and drum bands, all of which will also play together as a collective band.

The Congress targeted the government for the removal of this song and alleged that it was another attempt to erase the legacy of the Father of the Nation. Party spokesperson Shama Mohammed tweeted, “Favorite song in praise of Mahatma Gandhi has been removed from this time’s Beating Retreat Ceremony. This is another attempt by the BJP government to erase the legacy of Bapu.

Mahatma Gandhi's favourite Hymn is dropped from the Republic Day Beating Retreat Ceremony. This is yet another attempt by this petty BJP govt to erase Bapu's legacy. No action was taken against @SadhviPragya_MP for her comments against Gandhiji. This is BJP's love for Godse!

— Dr. Shama Mohamed (@drshamamohd) January 22, 2022

He also said, “No action has been taken against Sadhvi Pragya Thakur for making remarks against Gandhiji. This is Godse love of BJP.

Congress spokesperson Gaurav Vallabh also targeted the government over this issue and said that at this time an ‘ideological war’ is going on between those who believe in the views of Gandhiji and his assassin Nathuram Godse.