Songs of freedom: The idea of liberty is woven into the fabric of Indian poetry

Rabindranath Tagore’s Where the Mind is Without Fear demonstrates how deeply the concept of freedom is woven into the fabric of Indian poetry. While our discourse on independence often gravitates towards the historic struggle against colonial rule, Indian poets have long explored freedom’s multifaceted dimensions – from the personal to the social, economic, spiritual, and political.

The idea of economic freedom echoes through centuries of Indian poetry. As early as 500 CE, the poet Thiruvalluvar posed the question in his Thirukkural, classic Tamil text consisting of couplets: “Inmaiyin Innathathu Yaadhenin?” (What is worse than poverty?). His answer that poverty itself is the worst fate, resonates with the age-old struggle against economic hardship that continues to shape our society today.

But freedom, in the Indian poetic tradition, extends far beyond material concerns. In the realm of social emancipation, the 12th-century Kannada poet Akka Mahadevi stands as an icon of defiance. Rejecting the confines of marriage, she embarked on a spiritual journey, her long tresses covering her naked body as a symbol of renunciation.

In her vachana Kaaya Meesalagi Ninagarpitavaayittua, Mahadevi boldly asserts a woman’s right to self-determination, challenging the patriarchal structures that sought to subjugate her. She declares that her body belongs only to the god residing in her heart (Chenna...

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