Thread by @authorAneesh

Not only is Abide with me a Christian Hymn, it is a Christian Funeral Hymn.

Yup, we were humming a funeral tune for approx 70 years during " Beating the Retreat "

And yeah, it's called " Sacred Song"

This is the American Navy. Note the occasion.

Yep, very Universal lyrics.

May I add, beating the retreat was first performed for Queen Elizabeth II in the 1950s.

Who plays such stuff on a day the Republic of India is celebrated ?

The poet himself was very clear it was a Christian Funereal tune.

Ref : Indian Express.

Only other place I have seen such dark lyrics is in Death Metal songs.

This was Gandhiji's favourite ? 🤔

As the RMS Titanic went down, Abide with Me was played by the ship's band. Apt for the sombre occasion.

Is our Army going down like the Titanic for this song to be played ? 😠

Ref : Business Standard.

14 years after Independence, our first PM put on an elaborate ceremony to impress Quen Elizabeth II.

The replacement suggested - Aye Mere Watan ke Logo is not religious in the slightest and definitely not a funeral hymn.

Good decision.

It's been 75 years. I think we can do away with most Colonial Era songs.

75 years is the gap between 1870 and 1947. Nearly the whole of British Raj.

The aim should be to slowly evolve our visible symbols away from Colonial ones.

Why are some people so apologetic about this ?

If it was a Christian Funereal Hymn, own up and say - Yes we played a religious hymn (about Christian Funeral) for 70 years in an awovedly secular Army.

As time progresses, our military symbology has to be a post Independence phenomenon.

Whole poem is available online, do read for yourself and decide.