It is a song that is sung on every patriotic occasion, had moved India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, to tears and its strong morale-boosting words provided solace to a nation agonized by the defeat in the 1962 India-China war.
A tribute to the war heroes and martyrs, the song enabled the young and the old to control and overcome the anger of defeat. Its popularity continues unabated after 50 years - and remains a "must play" at all major national celebrations and events. File pic: Poet Pradeep with wife his Bhadra and daughters Mitul and Sargam in Mumbai.
"Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon" (O people of my land), penned by National Poet Pradeep, was written shortly after the war and served to unite the masses who were seething with rage over the battering the Indian forces received.
"Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon", perhaps revered next only to the National Anthem ("Jana Gana Mana") and the National Song ("Vande Mataram"), as also "Saare Jahan Se Aacha", was first rendered before a packed National Stadium in the capital on a cold Jan. 27 evening exactly 50 years ago - by Lata Mangeshkar.
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