The Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore, in his poem "Where the Mind is Without Fear…," envisages an India that is free in all senses of the word. I dream of the India that Tagore envisages, but my reality is a little different. What I see today is not quite what the great poet envisaged. While I live in a shining, better India that can boast of rapid strides in medicine, technology, sport, and communication, I’m also witness to a battered and bruised country, whose children are victims of injustice, hatred, violence, and prejudice. I watch debates and slinging matches on TV, politicians playing the blame game, and read and hear reports of horrendous crimes against women and children, and I’m deeply saddened. I’m deeply disappointed that we don’t take preservation of this beautiful landscape called India seriously. Spitting seems to be our birthright. Why are there paan stains on roads, walls, and everywhere? We seem to lack a civic sense. There is more litter than sand...

 Freedom   I’m freedom. The dictionary defines me as a state of not being held prisoner or controlled by somebody else.” (A few years ago, I penned the following lines on freedom.) Oh! To be free Just to be me To say as I please To stay or to leave.   To hold on, to let go To say no. To learn and to discern To marry or to live alone.   I live as a hope in the hearts and minds of those shackled by the chains of oppression and injustice. Children longing to be freed from the horrors of war and other evils hanker after me, longing to live as children should.   I’m sought after by women denied their rights and subjected to inhuman treatment. You’ll hear my name whispered in prayers, poems, speeches and songs of protest. You’ll get a glimpse of me every time the oppressed dare to think of a better life. Nations have borne long struggles to make theirs.  I’m often bruised, beaten, buried, silenced, or delayed, but I grow ...

  Independence Day   2025 marks India's 79th year of Independence—79 years since she was freed from the shackles of colonial rule. It’s a holiday that everyone looks forward to, especially with a long weekend like this year. I am proud of all that my country has achieved in these past 79 years. She has come into her own. As flag-hoisting ceremonies are held and the national anthem, along with patriotic songs, are sung, I pray to God to bless her people with a stronger civic sense. - I pray that her children maintain her secular fabric and that all live in harmony. - That women are given the freedom and justice they deserve. - That education and literacy reach even her most distant corners. - May all her children learn to speak the language of love. - That justice prevails and corruption is thwarted. That the hard-earned freedom be used wisely. May our beautiful motherland continue to rise from strength to strength, and may God be with her always. Jai Hind! This post is par...