WHEN MAHATMA GANDHI first heard ‘Abide With Me’, performed by the Mysore Palace Band during a visit to the kingdom, he fell in love with the hymn, written by Scottish poet Henry Francis Lyte and composed by Englishman William Henry Monk. It has been a part of the Beating Retreat ceremony since the band performed at the Republic Day celebrations in 1950. But, this year, ‘Abide With Me’, will not be a part of the ceremony. The government has decided to replace it with ‘Vande Mataram’. Defence ministry officials call it an effort to “Indianise” the ceremony.
Beating Retreat, a 45-minute martial music ceremony, is held on January 29 to mark the end of the Republic Day celebrations.
This story is from the February 02, 2020 edition of THE WEEK.
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This story is from the February 02, 2020 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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