National Anthem ko Pack Up Karna Chahiye, says Mukesh Khanna

He strongly feels it is time to change India’s National Anthem and that National Song Vande Mataram should be made the new anthem.

Actor and producer Mukesh Khanna, best known for his television series Shaktimaan, made headlines with his bold comments on the Indian national anthem, Jana Gana Mana. The actor alleged that late poet Rabindranath Tagore had written it, praising Queen Elizabeth, during the monarch’s visit to India. He strongly feels it is time to change India’s national anthem and that National Song Vande Mataram should be made the new anthem. “I have been saying this for so many years. I don’t know why we are carrying on with Jana Gana Mana for so long. It was not made for our Bharat mata. It was made in honour of the British government.”

Mukesh Khanna

He goes on to raise the questions about the wording of the national anthem. The actor points out that what does Bharat Bhaagya Vidhaata mean? “Aap mere Bharat ke bhaagya ke vidhaata ho? Jaya hey, Jaya hey, yeh unke jayjaykaar mein likha gaya yeh geet. I have been saying that [certain things with] the Nehru sarkaar, for 60-70 years, have been carried out wrongly,” he quips.

The actor is also happy to see some changes that are happening in our country. But he is headstrong about the fact that Jana Gana Mana should be wrapped. “Acchi baat hai ki shuruat hui hai. Schoolon and functions mein kaha gaya hai ki pehle Vande Mataram chalaiye baadme national anthem chalaiye. But dheere dheere national anthem ko bhi pack up kariye, yeh mein kadhi shabdon mein bolna chahta huun,” says Khanna.

Talking about why he feels even the names of certain localities and roads should be changed, the 68-year-old says, “Who are we fearing? America? The British? Hum unke ghulaam toh nahin hai na. Angrez chale gaye lekin angreziyat chod gaye abhi takk. Saare roads, jisme Mughal and angrezon ke naam hai, badal dene chahiye. You have left; humko humaare ghar ke naam badalne do na.”

The Shaktiman actor also believes that the Gen Z is being wrongly influenced and used by the opposition party and foreign entities. “Gen Z was born when Shaktimaan was born. I have been seeing them, but sorry to say that today’s Gen Z has been polluted by the outside forces. All the parties that want to oppose the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have got a beautiful opportunity to use the NEET protest for their purpose. From the whole thing that happened at Jantar Mantar, you could make out that the main issue had been sidelined and the removal of the Education Minister and even the Prime Minister [became the main focus],” he says.

“This is not Gen Z. I appreciate that the generation is very strong-minded and is a better decision-maker than my generation. I had commented before that jab bhi cockroaches ghar pe aate hai, unko uthaake phenk dena chahiye. This Cockroach Janta Party is like that. I don’t know why we are even entertaining them. Unko uthaake phenk dena chahiye because they’re polluting the minds of the Gen Z,” he concludes.