Where the mind is without fear, and the head is held high; Where Knowledge is free, Where the world has not been broken into fragments by narrow domestic walls.
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake (Rabindranath Tagore). More than a century after Tagore wrote his immortal lines, it is perhaps time to revisit the great poet’s vision of a new and awakened India. Inspired by the Nobel laureate, here is a prayer for India in 2026. An India which doesn’t look at the present and future through a rear-view mirror. Where our MPs don’t spend hours debating who cut which stanza from Vande Mataram in the 1930s or what Jawaharlal Nehru did or didn’t do in the 1950s or what atrocities Aurangzeb committed in the seventeenth century, but instead focus on what our present leadership is doing to build a better India for tomorrow.
An India where votes aren’t garnered by appealing to caste and religious divisions but on real issues of governance. Where it really shouldn’t matter which temple existed under which mosque in which century, where history is not reduced to a WhatsApp University course. The focus shouldn’t be on building more places of worship, but instead on how many quality schools and hospitals are being built.
An India where groups like the Bajrang Dal, who are seen vandalising Christmas events and assaulting Muslims under the guise of ‘love jihad’, are given exemplary punishment. And if they still don’t fall in line, these self-styled Hindu Rakshak groups must be banned. Any form of religious extremism or violence across communities must be rejected, not just in well-spun words but with concrete action.
An India which puts constitutionalism above vigilantism, where the rule of law applies to every citizen, where you don’t deport someone and call them Bangladeshis only because they speak Bengali. Where words like ‘ghuspetiya’ or infiltrator don’t become a political bogey, where hate isn’t ‘normalised’ in a manner that the ‘othering’ of communities can lead to their social exclusion and targeting.
An India where environmental protection is the mantra of every government. Where precious ecologically sensitive areas don’t get destroyed by rampant mining and greedy real estate mafia. Where climate change is not an issue only to be debated in air-conditioned seminar rooms, but must translate into action on the ground.
An India where political parties don’t end up as family proprietary firms, where there is genuine inner-party democracy, and dissent is not seen as a rebel lion. Where a ‘washing machine’ doesn’t become associated with shifting political loyalties for those seeking protection from the law. Where the Enforcement Directorate isn’t weaponised to become the Election Department of the ruling party by only focusing on opposition-ruled states.
An India where the ECI fulfils its constitutional responsibility to ensure free and fair elections. Where the ECI acts as a neutral umpire and doesn’t end up becoming the B team for one side.
An India which embraces every Indian from Kashmir to Kerala. It cannot be that a Kashmiri student or shawl-seller is stereotyped as ‘anti-national’ and made a soft target every time there is a terror attack in some corner of India. Where Kashmir is treated not just as a piece of land to be administered, but where winning hearts and minds is given priority. Where south versus north, Tamil ver sus Hindi linguistic divides are shunned, where diversity is seen as a strength, not a weakness.
An India which actually trans lates ‘beti bachao, beti padhao’ from slogan into reality. Any sexual assault on a woman in any part of the country must lead to fast-track punishment. Where crimes against women don’t become another glaring instance of a ‘broken’ criminal justice system, where the process is the punishment. It can not be that women who speak out against sexual harassment are denied agency and trapped in victim-blaming narratives.
An India which strives to reduce income inequalities, where Human Dignity Index matters as much as the GDP. Where the poor can finally get access to quality health and schooling, where equal opportunity becomes the goal of every government. It cannot be that the houses of the poor are bulldozed while the illegal colonies of the rich and influential are regularised. It cannot be that every major project is given to the favoured few business cronies while many hard-working entrepreneurs struggle with the ease of doing business. Where becoming the third largest economy should be celebrated, but being ranked in the 130s in nominal GDP per capita should remain a cause of concern.
An India where lakhs of students aren’t hostages to paper leaks and exam manipulation. Where exams are conducted in a meticulous manner without succumbing to criminal networks that facilitate cheating. Where the process of admission to colleges and specialised courses is guided by merit and not by ‘sifarish’. Where skill development and job opportunities go in tandem, where an aspirational India is given every chance to move ahead.
An India where ‘Na Khaoonga Na Khanedoonga’ isn’t another hollow slogan. Where rent-seeking politicians and bureaucrats are replaced by those who make personal integrity a byword. Where assets of elected representatives and officials are monitored and opened up to public scrutiny. Where the disproportionate assets of leaders are seized, and the money is then spent on building homes for the poor.
An India where science is valued more than superstition, where work matters more than lineage, where a person’s worth is judged by their knowledge bank and not just their bank balance.
An India where courts dispense justice and not just ad hoc judgments. When cash is found at a judge’s door, the country should be alarmed and not silent. When judicial appointments are not based on political or ideological links but on their track record at the Bench.
Oh yes, before one forgets, an India where the media re members that its role is that of a watchdog and not a lapdog. Where asking inconvenient questions to those in power is part of our professional dharma. Where an editor or reporter isn’t judged by how close they are to a minister but by how close they are to unravelling the truth.
Into that heaven of freedom, may India awake. Happy New Year!
The writer is a senior journalist and author.