National Anthem gets an indigenous touch

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Meghalaya House enlists help of singers , Ahead of the 50th anniversary of Meghalaya’s Statehood in 2022, the State Assembly has given an indigenous touch to the National Anthem. Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh had thought of giving ‘ Jana Gana Mana ’ a local flavour more than six months ago. The Anthem sung by non-Hindi speakers to the accompaniment of folk instruments would underline the country’s diversity, he felt.
He found in the Shillong-based Lamphang Syiemlieh a musician who could undertake the project. The latter made sure the new version did not violate any legal or constitutional stipulations. “We started working on the project after confirming what is permitted and what is not,” Mr. Syiemlieh said. He is one of the 10 vocalists who rendered the anthem.
The touched-up National Anthem was played on September 10, the first day of the autumn session of the Assem- bly. “We wanted the Anthem to have a distinct ring ahead of the golden jubilee of our Statehood. The outcome of the project was up to the expectations — a different sound to the same lyrics and the original tune,” Mr. Lyngdoh told The Hindu .
“I am not sure if other States have done something similar. We would like to think this as a first-of-its-kind experiment,” he said.