By Mimin Zomi
Being nice is an evolutionary achievement,
Being polite is the sign of advanced society,
Being compassionate is the very crowning feat
Of a civilization leaning towards the stars;
And for an Indian, imperative it is to be all of these and more,
Being of a heritage that gave birth to four Dharmic religions
That stress Noble Truths and paths to Enlightenment,
Of the religion of no religion but Freedom and Transcendence.
When great Europe was mired in sectarian strife,
The burning of heretics, scientists, and free thinkers,
This wondrous land of Valmiki and Sanskrit sages
Was a sanctuary for persecuted faiths and lost souls;
In this land, Galileo wouldn't face inquisition and trial,
In this land, Copernicus would be given a deity’s due—
In this land, knowledge is not considered a sin;
In this land, ignorance is considered a sin.
I am this blessed land, this giddy democracy,
This ancient hall of many voices, this Magadha,
This Himalayan empire of great Ashoka the Mauryan,
This land of knowledge and pearls,
This land of Nalanda, of Chanakya the statesman,
Of Sangam literature and illustrious Tamils,
Of mighty Marathas and fearless Rajputs,
Of ingenious Ahoms in the North-East that foiled the Mughals—
Oh, behold this maiden lotus, light-footed Shakuntala,
This Kohinoor, light of the East, soul of Asia,
That sceptred Britannia fretted to tame for two hundred years
And could not: glorious till the last; glorious, glorious and evermore!