The Indian military band has a colonial history that the government is trying to defy by removing the British-influenced music from its military music.
The Beating Retreat music list by the Indian military released a few days ago caused a stir all over the country. The hymn, ‘Abide With Me’ was dropped from the list of music that is played at the annual Republic Day celebration. The song was traditionally played at the end of the Republic Day ceremony every year. As per the government, it was done due to the ‘ongoing process of decolonizing India’.
Many have said that the hymn was Mahatma Gandhi’s favorite and dropping it from the ceremony is a part of the current government’s scheme to minimize the significance of Gandhi. Others have said it is a good decision to choose Indian music over non-Indian ones as India has a rich musical legacy of its own.
The argument is not so simple, as both parties have strong points to back their arguments.
The history of Indian military music
The use of martial music can be found in the era of the Maratha Empire in the 17th century. The concept of an organized military band was first introduced to India in the 1700s by the British Army. And before the First World War, all the regiments of the Indian Army had military bands which were formed to make the Indian population appreciate European music better. The pipe bands were introduced to the Sikh, Pathan, and Gorkha regiments in the late 19th century.
After the independence of India, a massive gathering of the country’s military bands is held at New Delhi each year on the Republic Day of the country since 1950. The arrangement is based on a 16th-century military ceremony held in England, which was used to call the nearby patrolling units back to the castle. The Scottish hymn, ‘Abide With Me’ is played every year at the end of the ceremony.
The debate
A military official said that the song has a strong connection with the Indian population as it honors all the fallen heroes who gave their lives for the country. A retired colonel has said that dropping the hymn is like defying tradition.
The senior adviser for the information and broadcasting ministry, Kanchan Gupta said that India has been independent for 75 years and there is no point in still following the British traditions. Many are accusing the government of religious politics for the step. Mr. Gupta denied the accusation and said it’s all about the ‘new India breaking free’.