60th Year of Independence

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.

—from Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore

This is Tagore’s simple prayer for India, prior to her gaining independence from Britain. The universality of this prayer allows it to transcend both time and space. The poem referes to a place where many wonderful qualities exist: fearlessness, knowledge, unity, truth, useful work, reason, and progress..

What was seen during the day of celebration was similar qualities. It was a day which showcased Unity, immense Team Work, and a convivial atmosphere.