From India To Bharat: Inside Manoj Mutahir's Session At Republic Summit 2026 | TOP MOMENTS

Lyricist, writer and poet Manoj Muntashir delivered a powerful and wide-ranging session at Republic Summit 2026 in Mumbai, touching on culture, faith, politics and personal life. He opened by calling Republic his favourite channel, before reciting his soul-stirring poem "I Come From That Bharat," which moved the audience to applause. He went on to speak about Mumbai's character, describing how the city's very name reflects the idea of a mother. Manoj also opened up about his first love and heartbreak, revealing how those emotions shaped his early poetry, saying "no heartbreak means no poetry."

On matters of identity, he declared, "I am not secular, I am Hindu," while addressing the Vande Mataram controversy, asking who really objected to the anthem, and referencing Jinnah. He spoke about how India's culture was "censored" over the decades, and reflected on the shift from "India" to "Bharat" since 2014. The session also touched on the "Love Jihad" debate, with Manoj citing "The Kerala Story 2," based on FIRs and conversion cases, as evidence of a pattern he says is no lie.