Intro: Lata Mangeshkar’s song Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon once made India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru cry
Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar sang thousands of songs in her decades-long career but her patriotic song Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon — written by Kavi Pradeep — left India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in tears.
Lata sang the song for the first time, two months after 1962’s Sino-Indian War on Republic Day (January 26, 1963). President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru were also present at the event, which was organised at New Delhi’s National Stadium.
When the event ended, Lata was informed that Nehru wanted to talk to her. “At first I was nervous, thinking I have committed some mistake. But when I met Panditji (Nehru), I saw tears in his eyes. ‘Lata, tumne aaj mujhe rula diya’,” the singer said during an event in Mumbai held to mark the 51st anniversary of Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon.
According to reports, after listening to the song, Nehru said, “Those who don’t feel inspired by ‘Aye mere watan ke logon’ don’t deserve to be called a Hindustani.”
