where the mind is without fear
15th August 1947: 00:00 IST,
India was finally free from her British masters.
Hundreds of lives were lost in the struggle for freedom.
Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost as the result of freedom,
for India had been brutally ripped apart, a price to pay for being free.
Rabindranath Tagore wrote this poem, yearning for a free India.
Originally composed in Bengali, this is his own translation and was included in his
collection of poems “Gitanjali” for which he received the Nobel Prize in 1912.
Rabindranath died 7th August 1941,
he never did see his free India, he never could be a ‘free’ Indian.
Neither did he have to witness his country being divided.
Where the mind is without fear
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
by domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into
the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening
thought and action …Into that heaven of freedom, my father, let my country awake.
Will we ever wake up into such a world?
history
India
independance
partition of india
Rabindranath Tagore
Winslie Gomez said this on August 14th, 2007 at 09:56
Little Indian
Greetings from UK.
Great thoughts, great day for India.
Has it lived up to the expectations of Gandhi, Nehru et al?
Would value your thoughts.
winslie
Bendtherulz said this on August 14th, 2007 at 10:34
Beautiful poem !! I saw this poem on other blog as well. And very sad as well when you think of all those lost lives.
Your question is quite thought provoking – I think today we need more then ever to ‘each of us ask” that question – are we truly free – from all the issues which are plaguing the country.
Tk care ~
little indian said this on August 14th, 2007 at 11:02
@ winslie:
thanks for stopping by and your thoughts.
I admit I am unable to answer the question you have asked.
I do not know what were Gandhi and Nehru’s real expectations.
I haven’t read enough to even try and speculate.
Besides whatever I write will be my interpretaion.
I will try. You have just given me some homework to do 🙂
little indian said this on August 14th, 2007 at 11:09
@ bendtherulz,
hello old friend,
I remember discussing this poem with you.
Tomorrow
we wake up to 60 years of our independant existance.
I can only ask myself
do we wake up to the world that Rabindranath prayed for?
narziss said this on August 14th, 2007 at 11:24
I really like that poem. But I think India has a very long way to go for attaining freedom.
I don’t think there is anything to celebrate as of now.
little indian said this on August 14th, 2007 at 11:45
thanks narziss,
I find it sad to admit what you say is so very true.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts,
drop in whenever you wish and share your thoughts with us here.
pinky said this on August 14th, 2007 at 12:10
We call it freedom…are we really free??
We choose to work for Britishers even on 15th Aug and then we call it Independence Day…isnt it??
Apart, the rest of india is happy because tommorrow its a holiday…they enjoy freedom from offices,from colleges,from schools,etc but do not understand the meaning of Independence!!
little indian said this on August 14th, 2007 at 12:17
@ Pinky,
haven’t heard from you for a while.
Sad isn’t it,
when independance day only equates to a public holiday.
I bet only a fraction of school children
today will know about our freeedom movement.
Then again, I doubt, how many of their parents’ generation will know?
Winslie Gomez said this on August 14th, 2007 at 13:51
Thank You Little Indian for that honest response.
The mood is pessimistic I suspect
@ Pinky +
Agree with your appraisal of the holiday as being the significant factor.
It would be interesting to understand and appreciate freedom.
In the Uk asians (especially the bearded kind)are seen as possible terrorists. People are nervous in trains and tube stations. You have a greater chance of being “searched” if you have a brown skin.
Has the UK moved on, doesn’t seem like it, does it!
winslie
ClapSo said this on August 14th, 2007 at 14:28
When I read the words of my fellow writers like Little Indian
when they speak of the horrors of war
When I FEEL for them human compassion.
When I understand we are all in the same boat.
When the lives snuffed out by an “a” bomb
By a “b” bomb
By a suicide bomb
By a b-2 bomber
When my fellow writer makes me feel
That the dead are truly my brothers and sisters
That the pain and loss is ours to share
Then I understand just how free
I am to act for change
To stop the killing
To live in peace with my fellow humans…
Thanks for your words little indian.
The scientifically impossible I do right away
The spiritually miraculous takes a bit longer
little indian said this on August 14th, 2007 at 14:56
Clapso, I am so touched.
These are the nices words ever on my site.
Thanks is all I can say.
earthpal said this on August 14th, 2007 at 18:28
Little Indian, that is a beautifully beseeching poem.
Clapso, what can I say but truly beautiful words.
Reading the thoughts here gives me faith in humanity.
pinky said this on August 14th, 2007 at 19:59
Hi awmyth,
Was busy with work nd stuff…infact i was also waiting for a holiday.And just today while i saw everybody was so happy just bcoz of holiday on a weekday,suddenly i realized where is the spirit of independence gone?Do we really remember the struggle of freedom fighters?I think Indian history has just remained in the books now.
@winslie
Things have not changed in UK.60 years back they ill treated us and till now racism has not ended(a very recent case of shilpa shetty in big brother).
Terrorists have no religion,no community they are neither Asians nor Americans.They are people who do not respect Humanity.
Pinky
little indian said this on August 14th, 2007 at 20:17
thanks earthie,
We had to read this poem (in original bengali) in school,
just read it, learnt it by heart, but did not understand a word.
The realities of life, society, humanity had not dawned on me yet.
It is only now, that am appreciating the greatness of the poet.
little indian said this on August 14th, 2007 at 20:20
@ Pinky,
well, you have been missed.
Would you agree that,
we have a responsibility to make our youngsters know our history?
If they don’t part of the blame could be in us?
You are always invited here,
please drop by when you have time and share your thoughts.