About my vision I wasn't sure
And then my thoughts went to Tagore.
By now a hundred years have passed
But yet his vision will always last.
Therefore at first I will read
His poem and then I'll proceed.
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 narrow 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.
Though there are many who would cheer
Today's India, I sometimes fear
His heaven of freedom is far away.
The clear stream of reason has run astray
In the desert sand of traditional thought,
Instead of new avenues being sought.
Are we responding to a higher call
Or breaking in fragments divided by a wall?
I sincerely hope that we will be
The true spirit of democracy.
Where institutions will be strong.
Now building them takes very long
But often we can find a way
To subvert or break them in a day.
Democracy is an attitude.
We must give opponents latitude
Lest we collectively do sink
In the mortal sin of group think.
Democracy is not majoritarian.
As that would be authoritarian.
I'd like to see much more free speech
Where the State's long arm doesn't reach
And crushes voices that oppose
But active debate thrives and grows.
Where ideas win because they're right
And not because of mere might.
Where everyone has equal rights
And personal dreams are within our sights.
Where all our skills can be used
And no one is ever abused.
Where there's the timely rule of law
And lynching is seen as a flaw.
Where all have their opportunity
And therefore there's no penury.
Where our thoughts are never sectarian
But very firmly humanitarian.
Where hateful thoughts are gone and done
And we are at peace with everyone.
Where even those who always hate
We can convince but not placate!
Where our weather is no longer cursed
Since climate change has been reversed.
Whenever there's a flaw you see
Please try and act collectively.
But never stoop to moan and groan.
And if you must please act alone.
