Yes, why not?

Let us see it from a different point of view.

Let us deal with the controversial lines.

Image source: YouTube video

I am a scientist, artist, writer, poet, and a designer. I do several other things.

As an artist, writer and poet, I know what goes inside the mind of a writer and a poet when s/he tries to write poetry or a song. Writers use metaphors to compare two different things. A metaphor says one thing is another thing. It does not use the words "like" or "as". This helps readers/listeners see and feel ideas in new ways and consider and accept wholeheartedly.

Why Do Poets Use Metaphors?

Big feelings: They turn hard emotions into clear pictures.

Strong images: They help readers picture a scene in their mind.

New ideas: They show hidden links between ordinary things.

Likewise, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee ji used the words Durga to convey Shakti (strength), Laxmi to convey abundance, Saraswati to convey wisdom.

The extended verses introduce deeper philosophical, spiritual, and powerful protective themes:

Strength and Courage: It calls upon the collective power of millions of voices and hands, rejecting the idea that the Motherland is weak ("Who sayeth to thee, Mother, that thou art weak?") and honouring her as a protector and saviour from foes.

Spiritual Devotion: It views the Mother as the embodiment of knowledge, faith, life force, and virtue ("Thou art knowledge, thou art conduct, thou art heart, thou art soul").

Divine Personification: The final verses explicitly link the qualities of the Motherland to Divine powers representing power (Durga), wealth (Lakshmi), and wisdom (Saraswati).

Sadly people are viewing this only from a religious point of view and refusing to see the inner meaning of the song and what the writer actually wanted to convey.

Intellectual inadequacy is creeping into our societies now unlike earlier times.

When invited, I went to Churches (for Baptism ceremonies and marriages when my friends invited me). When my mother was not well, my Christian friends prayed for her in my house. We never objected to this.

I visited Mosques and Dargas for the same reason and also as a tourist. I also visited THE GOLDEN TEMPLE and several Buddhist religious places.

I am a born Hindu but this religion never asks us not to visit other religious places but my friends from other religions never visit Temples or attend religious ceremonies when we invite them. They say their religion doesn't allow this.

Hinduism (Sanatan Dharma) gives us a lot of freedom and that is why I love it. It even accepts Atheism. WOW! It accepts science without any restrictions, i.e., it is science-friendly. It has a universal outlook -

(Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam) - which is a Sanskrit phrase that means "the whole world is one family." It comes from ancient Indian texts like the Maha Upanishad and promotes global unity, peace, and looking past human differences.

We see things differently.

I see Vande-Mataram as a National song. The phrase "Vande Mataram" translates from Sanskrit to English as "I bow to thee, Mother" or "I salute you, Mother," with the "Mother" personifying the motherland or Bharat Mata (Mother India). Written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1876, the complete poem blends praise for nature, inner strength, and devotion.

It invokes the feelings of a child towards its mother. Power, wealth and wisdom are a part of it.

Can you imagine your mother without these things? NO!

I sing the song with full confidence of understanding it thoroughly like an intellectual.