Vande Mataram the novel containing it was banned by the British government, but workers and general public defied the ban, many went to colonial prisons repeatedly for singing it, and the ban was overturned by the Indians after they gained independence from the colonial rule. In 1950 (after India's independence), the first two verses of the song were declared the "national song" of the Republic of India, distinct from the national anthem of India, "Jana Gana Mana". The first two verses of the song are an abstract reference to one's mother and motherland, they do not mention any Hindu deity by name,
Of Thee I Sing is Mr. Gershwin's score. Whether it is satire, wit, doggerel or fantasy, Mr. Gershwin pours music out in full measure and in many voices. Although the book is lively, Mr. Gershwin is exuberant." In 1932, "Of Thee I Sing" became the first musical to win the Pulitzer Prize for drama. The 1932 Pulitzer Prize Committee stated, ""Of Thee I Sing" is not only coherent and well-knit enough to class as a play, but it is a biting and true satire on American politics and the public attitude towards them... The play is genuine and it is felt the Pulitzer Prize