The Gift of India

The Gift of India 

                                  -Sarojini Naidu

Being one of the most eminent patriots, freedom fighter and poet of modern India, the “Nightingale of India” succeeds in capturing the true essence of the country in her poetic world. Sarojini Naidu’s poetry is an amalgamation of strong emotions of love, patriotism, heroism and strong lyricism. “The Gift of India” is a poem written in 1915 which embodies the spirit of patriotism for the motherland. In this poem, Mother India is proud of her brave and fearless sons who have made a number of great contributions, not only to the country but on a global level.

In the opening stanza of the poem, Mother India raises a question to the world asking if she has withheld any of her riches like clothes, grain or gold from them. She asks if she has denied any form of sacrifice to the world that was needed for a better tomorrow. She has promptly given away the courageous sons of the nation she calls her ‘Priceless treasures’ to the eastern and western countries without any hesitation to honour her international commitments to ensure harmony in the world. She talks of her brave sons who have readily accepted every challenge that came their way to cater to their global commitments as a result of which they are lying buried in foreign soils. Mother India agreed to send the Indian soldiers to the land of chaos, death, and destruction to protect the nation’s integrity and prestige. She has given up the sons born out of her womb to the world for the sake of the country’s esteem and commitments.

In the second stanza, Mother India laments the death of the heroic soldiers who fought in the war with the utmost valor and zeal and are now lying buried in their graves in foreign lands like pearls in their shells. Over one million Indian troops from Britain’s colonial empire had served the British Army in the First World War out of which around 75,000 soldiers died in foreign lands. Some of them are buried along the tranquil Persian sea while others are scattered like shells on the Egyptian sands. They lie pale and colourless with hands that have been broken on the battlefield. There are other brave soldiers whose lifeless bodies lie scattered like flowers in the blood-tainted meadows of Flanders and France. The bleeding Indian soldiers chose not only to sacrifice their blood and sweat for their motherland but also to prove the fact that India has never backed out from its promised commitment. The selfless sacrifice of the Indian soldiers shows that India has always lived up to its expectations by proving its loyalty to its global allies.

Mother India asks rhetorical questions to express the fact that there is no possible way in which the world can measure the intensity of her grief. The world cannot possibly comprehend her grief and suffering that she had to face at the loss of her martyred sons. Even though she is torn by the grief in her heart, she is exhilarated by a sense of pride offered by the soldiers. Her pride in the heroism and spirit of her sons overwhelms her sense of despair and sorrow. She bears immeasurable pain and anguish in her heart at the thought of parting ways with her sons. However, she prays for a world in which there is no place for fights, hatred or terror. And the thought of a better world in which peace and harmony are restored gives her hope. Here, she is anticipating their victory which will put an end to the cruelties in the world. At the same time, she is saddened by the thought of the soldiers who are going to sacrifice their lives to bring glory to the country. This whole stanza has an optimistic note suggesting that the sacrifice of today shall succeed in making a better tomorrow.

In the final stanza, Mother India vehemently expresses her sense of pride in the achievements of the Indian soldiers. Even though she has suffered a lot, a hope for a better future in which peace is restored gives her satisfaction. The poem ends on a note of optimism and hope. Mother India hopes that when the world of terror and hate shall cease, a new world will be formed in which peace and harmony would bring joy in people’s lives. Mother India expects the world to respect and remember the soldiers who fought bravely in the wars and sacrificed their lives for a peaceful future. She also hopes that the contribution of the Indian soldiers will be recognized by the world. She wants people to pay their homage and gratitude to the soldiers so that they can be immortalized in the history of the world for their valor and heroism.