"Vande Mataram!": Constructions of Gender and Music in Indian Nationalism

This article juxtaposes the iconic performances at the Wagah (Pakistani-Indian) border with a genealogical analysis of "'motherland'" symbolism in Indian cultural nationalism in order to illuminate the relationship between gender and national ideology. Drawing from archival research and ethnographic experience, I follow the development of India's national song, "Vande Mataram," exploring its evolution and impact through the independence movement into the modern-day Hindu golden age. Drawing from postcolonial theory, feminist perspectives, literary analysis, and critiques of nationalism, I examine the tensions between tradition and modernity in Indian culture, looking at the power structures that subordinate gender to nationalist ideologies.