Mahatma Gandhi's favourite hymn 'Abide with me' dropped from Beating Retreat tunes
India Today
The hymn 'Abide with me' played at the Beating Retreat ceremony has been dropped from the list of tunes. It was known to be Mahatama Gandhi's favourite.
The Christian hymn 'Abide with me' played all these years at the Beating Retreat ceremony on January 29 has been dropped from the list of tunes two years after it was first speculated.
The hymn does not figure in the programme shared with the media. It has been a regular feature in the band since 1950.
This comes a day after the controversy over the shifting of Amar Jawan Jyoti from India Gate -- where it existed for 50 years -- to the new National War Memorial.
In 2020, the plan to drop the 'Abide with me' hymn - known to be Mahatama Gandhi's favourite, triggered controversy as it was being seen as a non-inclusive approach by the Narendra Modi-led government.
However, the hymn was played in the years 2020 and 2021, putting to rest all speculations.
The Beating Retreat is performed every year on January 29 with military bands performing on Rajpath as the sun sets over Raisina Hill. It marks the end of the Republic Day celebrations.
Over the last few years, Indian compositions have made their way into the military bands that earlier mostly played British martial tunes.
