Hark - hear the song of this native land... 
Where ancestors lived in dignity grand; 
A land lush with palm and sandalwood trees,
Against the backdrop of the mountain breeze. 

Land of the Himalaya, Vindhya and Nilgiri,
The Ganga, Brahmaputra and Cauvery! 
Described as the land of milk and honey 
A culture ancient with languages many! 

The seat of the Vedas and many folklore, 
A nation that gave us a Gandhi and Tagore! 
Ever accepting this Indian mother of earth...
Welcoming strangers with goodwill and mirth. 

For, - Persians, French, Portuguese and Greek 
All like the British did adventure seek. 
A piece of the mother did many take 
A give and a take in this global handshake. 

Alas! the tea, silk and spices - a mere masquerade, 
For, there was more want than business and trade! 
Princely states, provinces did they annex 
In attempts to govern a nation complex. 

Thus, several hundred years under foreign regime, 
But to the young today it is a historical dream. 
And what of the losses that did incur? 
In the many bloody battles and massacre? 

For ever etched in the anals of history gory 
Will be Jallianwallah and Dandi - now a story. 
So let us at this time remember those who gave 
Their lives in a cause righteous and brave!

Let us not the struggles of the past forget 
As we enjoy and cope with surplus and debt; 
60 years young as you blossom and flower, 
Yes, Lead Kindly Light - ye Indian Power!

Rajeshwari Iyer lives in Brampton, Ontario and teaches Chemistry at the College/University level in Toronto. She is the mother of a special needs child and enjoys reading, music and travel. She has contributed poems to SAWF (South Asian Women's Forum), Magazines such as KALA, Marina, quarterly publications based in Toronto. She has also contributed to e-zines such as Poetry.com, Thinnai, and Tamilonline.