ON MOTHER AND MOTHERLAND

If any dictator tries to suppress, or crush the people, you feel the impact at once, since your other 'half' which remains with them is suppressed and crushed equally. Hence the spontaneous outburst of your powerful virtuous rage. Your refined mind and sensitive heart cannot but act otherwise. Seeing committed to such selfless action they leap on the treacherous blood-hound with all vehemence and try to squeeze him to the last drop of blood. If you are done to death in the course of such glorious action, your fellowmen with take up your cause and fight till the last, at the cost of their life and property. Would not that victory ensure their safety too? Indeed it would. That is the reason why, a person prefers tying down to his motherland i.e., people to dwelling elsewhere, despite its multifarious blessings attending on him ever. He runs to his country frequently on the flimsiest pretext at the moment's notice, if he is forced to stay in a foreign land on business, or for pleasure. He bubbles with enthusiasm at the mention of his people and their names.

Sir Walter Scoot in his short, but stirring poem envisages this patriotic fervour with matchless grace and indescribable vigor. The beginning of the poem itself is simply arresting. It reads thus: "Breathes there the man with soul so dead who never to himself hath said, This is my own, my native land". He affirms, rightly too, that there cannot be any individual worth the description, who does not feel proud in declaring, "It is my motherland and I am the proud citizen of this proud, great, sacred land". This feeling is intensified, if he happens to step on the sacred soil of his motherland after a long sojourn in foreign lands. Why, the very thought of returning to it brings tears of joy and overwhelms him totally. He at once sees in his vision the effulgent flame of the glory of his motherland and the splendor of his people that beckon him warmly and gracefully. So, he hastens homewards.

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