[nukkad] Independence day poems-Rajababu

["rajababu" <>]

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MAA TUJHE SALAAM (15TH August 2001)

Far out beyond the Rann of Kutch, desolate in its wretched settings,
A small family in  small hut, smoke from the backside,
The soldier has never ventured this far, he doubts anyone did,
He goes to the doorstep, poverty and lack of hygiene overpowers him,
Duty on Border Post 3410, he wishes to greet the family, its 15th August,
He spots the old, dirty man, smoking a hookah,
The solider has learnt the native dialect after 8 hardened years,
He greets the man, the man greets him back,
His wizened wife a spinster daughter watch from the ante-room,
He asks the solider, Whereto, bhayo? The soldier is taken aback, 
He identifies himself as a solider, the old man is non-plussed,
After a while, he asks, Which country? The soldier gets angry,
Then gets confused, in turns, he goes out and checks the wires,
The border is still 18 feet away, this is India, he comes in again,
The wife has prepared jowar chappaties for the guest, he is moved,
They sit on the floor, and discuss matters,

Later, while saying goodbye, and climbing his jeep,
The soldier bites his lips, he wonders whom he 
And thousands of other soldiers are fighting for,
Are these the symbols of our hapless bureaucracy,
Who has not bothered to visit them even after 54 years.

Its pains him, and tortures his heart,
That he was the first government officer 
To visit this Indian house in 54 years,
Of its 'free' independence.

MA TUJHE SALAAM.



MOTHER INDIA

The PM from the ramparts,
The audience, handpicked VIP's,
Bored, they shoo away the middle class flies,

Can't blame them, they've heard it all before,
References to a Foreign hand, poverty alleviation,
Careful not to refer to our neighbours by name.

A lethargic, well-written paragraph on the Kargil Martyrs,
Twenty two schemes for rural upliftment,
Three for the socially backward.

The PM's guard stands, like a monolith,
Both of them are trapped in a huge glass cage,

Swarms of Indian and foreign reporters, careful to detect,
The unsaid meaning of spoken and unspoken words,
And geriatric pauses of speech.

Most people watch the live telecast for half an hour,
The Society's celebrations on the terrace are avoided,

The only significant guests out there are the kids,
They love it, they get ot hog
Lots of Wafers and sweet, tasty Frooty.
Atleast, they look forward to 15th August.



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