Vande Mataram "I praise to thee, Mother". The "mother goddess" in later verses of the song has been interpreted as the motherland of the people – Bangamata (Mother Bengal) and "Bharat Mata" (Mother India), though the text does not mention this explicitly. It played a vital role in the Indian independence movement, first sung in a political context by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress. It became a popular marching song for political activism and Indian freedom movement in 1905. Spiritual Indian nationalist and philosopher Sri Aurobindo referred it as "National Anthem of Bengal". The song and
Of Thee I Sing in 1972 by CBS, mostly starring actors then appearing in CBS series, including Carroll O'Connor as President Wintergreen. A National Radio Theater version starring John Cullum was broadcast by NPR in 1984 and the BBC in 1984 and 1992. In the 1930s, the Marx Brothers had intended to produce a film adaptation of the musical, but they decided to make "Duck Soup" instead. Many scholars draw parallels between "Of Thee I Sing" and "Duck Soup", even going so far as to suggest that the musical helped provide inspiration for that Marx Brothers classic. A musical sequel to "Of Thee I