Our collective vision for 2024 should be to safeguard the ethos of the Indian Republic. And what better way to express this than by anchoring it in the powerful words of Tagore’s poem ‘Where The Mind Is Without Fear’. Tagore penned this poem during the period when India was still under the oppressive rule of the British Empire, and the populace eagerly awaited their long-awaited liberation. With India gripped in the iron grasp of colonialism, every citizen’s thoughts were shackled by the chains of enslavement, leaving them yearning for a distant dream of freedom. This poem takes on the form of a heartfelt prayer directed towards God, the ultimate harbinger of emancipation. It serves as an earnest plea to the Divine to safeguard the nation from wickedness and ensure its liberation from all forms of manipulation and corruption
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Has India become the new ‘Republic of Fear’? Fear is a well-tested strategy frequently used by leaders and politicians throughout history. It is a tool wielded by ruthless powers to remain in power and to subjugate the people. The law is weaponised by the State to persecute and instil fear in the populace. Those who dare to dissent and not prostrate before the regime are intimidated and oppressed. An atmosphere of fear is created in the minds of the andh bhakts that the dissidents are the enemies of the people and that the unity and integrity of the country are in danger. The collective brainwashing of the masses by creating the bogey of ‘nation, religion or culture in danger’ bodes ill for our democracy.
In this New Year, let my country awake into that heaven of freedom, where justice, liberty, equality and fraternity entrenched in the preamble of our Constitution continue to stand as bulwarks against ruthless regimes antithetical to liberty of thought expression, belief, faith and worship. May the New Year bless us with abhaya, the greatest gift for an individual or a nation, which is the absence of fear from the mind, and not merely bodily courage.
Where knowledge is free
As we delve into the annals of history, we discover a recurring pattern wherein knowledge was confined to a select group of elites, wielding it not just as a means of authority and manipulation, but also as a tool for subjugation and harm.
The colonial British Administration in India also did not accord due importance to providing education for the masses. However, in spite of numerous obstacles, our visionary leaders spearheading the liberation movement devised a path to transform India into a contemporary, enlightened, and progressive nation. Since attaining Independence in 1947, India has made remarkable strides in the realm of education. However, India’s education system continues to suffer from significant disparities in terms of access, completion, and quality. Factors such as social class, linguistic background, gender, and ethnicity exert a profound influence on the educational journey of children in India. Consequently, contributing to inequalities in acquisition of knowledge within Indian society.
In this New Year, let my country awake into that heaven of freedom where my dear compatriots, regardless of their class, caste or religion, have access to knowledge.
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls
India has been a land of extraordinary diversity of cultures, languages and religions. Despite India’s long-standing commitment to the credo of ‘unity in diversity’, the people of India have been grappling with divisive forces who have been fuelling intolerance and conflicts based on caste, language and religion, leading to fragmentation of the country. In recent times, religion has been at the core of much of the strife around the globe. In India religious nationalism has been on the rise, which see India fundamentally belonging to the Hindu majority and that India is fundamentally a polity by, for, and of the majority Hindu community. As a consequence, ethnic and religious minorities have been subjected to discrimination and prejudice which has only grown in intensity. Although we may be in a denial mode, the evidence of increasing discrimination against religious minorities is overwhelming.
In this New Year, let my country awake into that heaven of freedom where diversity and differences will not antagonise one group against the other; where everyone leads a peaceful life in society and be freed from bigotry.
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
The democratic space for constructive and rational criticism is shrinking. Superstitions and evil practices are being actively encouraged. Rationality, ‘Rationalism’ and ‘Rationalists’ are being criticised, threatened, tormented and killed.
In this New Year, let my country awake into that heaven of freedom where irrational beliefs and superstitions that perpetrate discrimination on the basis of caste, sex and ethnic identity will be put to an end. Let us crush the forces that undermine the scientific temperament and are responsible for the proliferation of irrational, regressive, and evil practices.
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.
Hate speeches and dehumanising narratives against the minorities mirror an exclusivist mind-set pushing the country down the horrific path of hate, fear and bloodshed. Instead of being all-embracing and hating none we are promoting majoritarianism.
In this New Year, let my country awake into that heaven of freedom by invoking the Divine to safeguard the nation from malevolence and ensure its liberation from all forms of manipulation and corruption. May we be led to achieve the grand vision of Rabindranath Tagore. Together, let us forge an unbreakable bond of love and unity, as we embark to awaken our great country into that heaven of freedom.
(The writer is a member of the Society of Pilar. He is a Clinical Psychologist and the Editor of ‘Fr Agnel’s Call’, a monthly mission and youth magazine)
