Where the mind is without fear- Rabindranath Tagore: Guide notes.

What is the central theme of the poem "Where the mind is without fear" by Rabindranath Tagore?

Answer:- The poem "Where the mind is without fear" by Rabindranath Tagore was composed first in Bengali in 1900 when India still was under the British Imperialist control and people were eagerly waiting to get their freedom from British rule. Tagore's own concept of freedom has also been reflected through this poem,taken from the Nobel prize winning anthology 'Gitanjali' (Song offering) published by Indian Society, London in 1912. The poet wanted a country where people would be free from any kind of oppression and their head would be held high in dignity. There would be education and knowledge for everyone regardless of class or clan and children should learn freely from nature around them. He even puts emphasis on unity among people of the entire world without any division on caste,creed,colour, religion or baseless superstition. He says that there should not even be national boundaries which breaks unity among the global citizens. Tagore even wants a nation where people would be truthful and not superficial and words should come out from the depth of the heart. Everyone should work hard to reach their goals and neither should they be lazy and tired nor should ignore it,enabling them to reach perfection. The poet that he doesn't want the 'clear stream' of reason and logical thinking to lose its ways into the 'dreary deserts' of prejudice and superstition. He says that the mind should be 'led forward' to 'ever-widening thoughts and actions' by Almighty evading the narrowness of mind. And he finally ends by asking the God, the Father to awaken his country in such a 'heaven of freedom' where the above conditions prevail.
          Rabindranath Tagore in a way wanted to awaken the God in us to free our mind from shackles and bondage. He wants us not to get bonded by lines that society draws around us. He wants us to come out and break the established norms, principles, superstition,etc. that curb our  actual freedom- the freedom of minds, the freedom of thoughts. He urge his countrymen to come forward to convert the utopian world of holistic freedom free from the hackneyed principles and dogmas into the reality of the coming sunrise. Tagore's heartfelt prayers to God,the Almighty for true freedom for the country has taken the form of this poem.