ISC Reverie Question and Answer – How apt is the title of the poem ‘The Gift of India’

Question: How apt is the title  of the poem ‘The Gift of India’ ? 

Answer :The title ‘The Gift of India ‘is apt as the poem focuses on the priceless lives of the Indian soldiers  given as the gift to the allied forces during the First World War. 

The poem begins with Mother India crying out that though the British had taken over her country and monopolized its resources in terms of garments, grain and gold. But this loss is insignificant in comparison to the ruthless killing of her sons, who were bound to serve the self assumed rulers of India i.e. The British.

Mother India, gave the precious gift of so many lives of Indian soldiers for the cause of the British, this gift is unforgettable.

It is hard to measure the grief of those mothers who gave their sons to be sacrificed in the war for the British. Mother India believes that this sacrifice made by Indian soldiers would create a world without hate and terror.

Love, respect and honour will be the integral part of this new world, laid on the foundation of the Gift of India – the blood of her martyred sons.

The title of the poem is thus appropriate as no other gift could be as valuable as lives of the India’s “martyred sons “.