Thursday, 14 August 2014

A mother named India

A Mother named India. 

She had great sons and daughters
Who called her Ma, and loved her dearly
They wrote great words, sang great songs
Glorified, praised and adored her!

Her daughters served, her sons fought
She was worshiped by all her kids
She was envied and she lured
Many people, near and far

Diamonds, rubies, she lacked nothing
Riches plenty, she was adorned
A beauty unique, lush and lavish
She was the queen of all empires

Sword and daggers, bows and arrows
They used them not to protect her 
Through the silent path of Ahimsa
They built a land of calm and freedom 

Alas, when all her enemies left 
Her own kids turned her worst foes
Killed each other in the name of gods
Left her in a shameful state

They won her back, the freedom she lost
But enchained her in a cage forever
Ever since, she lives in silence
Without words, she quakes in fear

A helpless mother, with rotten kids
Who saddens her with a million crimes
Every year she wonders why
They salute her in a foreign style

Years passed, she is slowly killed
No one cares, but for a day or two
Though her tricolour flag flies high 
She stays unmoved by the rituals done

Her tears dried up like rivers dry
Seeing sons die in violence crude
Her sighs echoes but never heard
In the violent cries of daughters dear

Mother India, you know your kind
Loudspeakers, speeches and parades
Another Independence Day is passing by
For proud Indians to brag again

From my corner where I hide
I wish for peace for a little while
Till I can't walk on your streets, safe
There's nothing to wish you, Mother India.

1 comment:

  1. Very touching poem whose every word is true and relevant even today (six years later than its creation).

    ReplyDelete

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  (Dedicated to Dr Rajesh M Ramankutty, Cardiothoracic surgeon, Caritas Heart Institute, Kerala. My Papa got a new lease of  life through a ...