Thoughts of Nehru and Tagore

Tryst with Destiny

Theme

In this speech, delivered at midnight, on August 14, 1947, Nehru speaks about India’s past and remembers the trials and tribulations the people faced to achieve independence. He especially mentions Mahatma Gandhi as the architect of Indian freedom. He emphasizes equality for all sections of society. The speech reveals Nehru’s internationalism, asserting that Indian dreams and those of the world are similar. For Nehru, no nation can exist in isolation.

Highlights of speech

“At the stroke of midnight hour,” Said Nehru, “when world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.” In the first paragraph of speech Nehru is talking about the tryst made with destiny. Now it is time to redeem them very substantially. He said there is time for every suppressed soul to utter and after a long time, it’s ours.

“Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future?” In this quotation Nehru is asking to the brave and wise Indians to accept the freedom and challenges, they are about to face while running the country, in the future.

India suffered a lot, we lived like labours and lost too many beloved ones. Even our freedom cost us partition. In this we did not just lost some piece of land, but we sacrificed approximately 200,000 to   2,000,000 brothers and sisters and approximately 650,000 Indians migrated to the other side of the border. Nehru pointed towards these losses as, “Before the birth of freedom we have endured all the pains of labour and our hearts are heavy with the memory of this sorrow. Some of those pains continue even now.”

After freedom, Nehru decided to end the inequality and bandage the wounds of India to its last cut. He idealised Mahatma Gandhi to serve India. “The service of India means the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity. The ambition of greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye.” He refers Mahatma Gandhi as Greatest man of our generation.

Nehru ask to work hard to fulfil the dreams of India and maintain the peace in all over the world. He realised that it doesn’t matter how far they live or which god they serve, human is deeply connected with each other.

In last paragraph he appealed to the people of India to step together and build a noble mansion of free India where Indians can dwell peacefully.

 

Where the Mind is Without Fear

Theme

Poem no. 35 Gitanjali “Where the Mind is Without Fear” is a prayer by the poet for his country that it may rise above narrow nations of progress. He prays to God for an atmosphere of freedom and equality, based on truth and fearless reasoning. 

Highlights of Poem

Tagore wrote this poem in 1900, when he was 39-year-old. British were ruling India and he was experiencing them since his childhood. Based on his experience and feeling he prayed this poem in front of God.

In this poem Tagore is praying for a heaven like atmosphere for India. Where Indian can live fear free, experience freedom, access the knowledge and live together without any racism. Where truth become habit and India can step towards its perfection. Where its beautiful minds can lead towards visions and actions instead of being dumped in dead habits.

Comparison of both works.

Similar Keywords

Tagore, “Where the mind is without fear”.

Nehru, “India will awake to life and freedom”.

In these both phrases Nehru and Tagore are talking about freedom of India. Freedom from fear and freedom to live.

Tagore, “Head is held high”.

Nehru, “The soul of nation long suppressed finds its utterance”.

In these phrases, they are talking about freedom to speak and freedom to give their point of view.

Tagore, “Broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls.”

Nehru, “The ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity.”

In these phrases both are talking about racism that rise among humans. Moreover, Nehru talked about poverty, ignorance, disease, and opportunities that somehow leads to racism.

Tagore, “Tireless striving stretches its arms towards its perfection”.

Nehru, “Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future?”

Both Nehru and Tagore are talking about stepping ahead to make this land more perfect and peaceful place, in their own style.

Tagore, “Clear stream of reason has not lost its way into dreary desert of dead habit”.

Nehru, “Before the birth of freedom, we have endured all the pains of labour and our hearts are heavy with the memory of this sorrow.”

Before freedom, we were just labouring British without caring and expressing our talents and wisdoms. That is how, we lost, who knows, how many talents without listening their arts. Tagore praying for the India where these talents can dwell instead of being dumped in dead habits.

Tagore, “The mind leads forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action”

Nehru, “We make appeal to join us with faith and confidence in this great adventure.”

Both are talking about togetherness and unity to lead this great nation towards a bright future.

Tagore, “Into that Heaven of freedom, let my country awake.”

Nehru, “We have to build the noble mansion of free India where all her children may dwell.”

Ending with, ‘Heaven of freedom’ ‘Mansion of free India’ and ‘Let my country awake’ ‘all her children may dwell’, is like they both were equally concerned about India and its citizen to provide them what they actually deserve, and both gave their to make it possible.

Keywords of difference

Tagore, “Knowledge is free”

Tagore, “Words come out from the depth of truth”.

Moreover, Tagore talked about knowledge and illness of lie. We can say that, in his desire knowledge should be free and human should be more honest with their words.

Nehru, “Some of those pains are continue even now.”

Nehru, “The service of India means the service of millions who suffer.”

Nehru, “To wipe every tear from every eye.”

Nehru, “One world that can no longer be split into isolated fragments”.

Nehru, “This is no time for petty and destructive criticism, no time to ill will or blaming others.”

As a politician, Nehru further mentioned service of India to humanity, pain India or millions from other land suffered, wiping tears, taking care of unity against splitting into fragments and ending regrets about our past.

Conclusion

Both works are at height of their perfection and beauty with their own uniqueness. This speech and latter have inspired thousands of people and shown them a beautiful path. These are hope, inspiration and guide for lots of Indians. History will always mention them in its golden words and for them we, Indians, will always have a special place in our heart.

While comparing both works, I found some similarities and differences which is the beauty of two different work on a same topic. Comparing both works, in actual, is not that easy. Just finding some similar words and phrases we cannot compare the depth of emotion behind these words. Both works, speech and prayer, are done in different state of atmosphere with different emotions and feelings and I am limited to access only words without feelings behind them.

Well, I tried my best to compare but as I never felt okay to compare two great works, personality, vision, mission, or desire, I do not think I satisfied the demand of comparison. Meanwhile I understood why we should not compare two great works, because it is impossible to touch the depth of truth and get the exact vibes radiated from its origin.