unheard voices

We have a Right to Education in our country, Let us not lie, nomore, Only 8% gets access to RTE education What education? What Right?   Unlike Russia, we have rape laws in the country Let us not lie, nomore We all know how easy it is to get away, We all know how effective the rape law is. We all know where the Nirbhaya fund is.   Caste is no more prevalent, Let us not lie, no more 46 richest Indians, 28 from merchant class, Others from traditionally upper case, One Muslim, one Women No Dalit, no Adivasi, Caste no more, lying, are we?   Where are we spending? If only 1% of GDP on health, where is the rest? We do not want to expose our poverty, No left to centre, no right to centre, But we should believe for what we care.   Today, should we care more about these? I do not know, Or impress people by a Madison speech? I do not know.   Should we care more about giving basic food security To the la...

(This poem is in reaction to an article posted today on a less known media forum. http://www.newslaundry.com/2014/11/24/racism-and-the-city/ ) My blood is red, My skin is brown, In April, I celebrate spring And in Monsoon rain, I dance and sing! 26th January, I too celebrate Republic Day, On every 2nd October, To Mahatma Gandhi, homage I pay! I read narratives of History of the nation, Of how Gandhi was thrown out of the train, And how the nation rose against racial discrimination!   In Devyani Khobragade ‘s incident The pinch every Indian felt, I witnessed Intolerance against racial discrimination The nation expressed.  In that same nation, My race, my identity, my birth place I am asked to hide, Petrified relatives back home, begged and cried! I do not know if I can count on you, Will bridges be built anew? Every single day the bite is getting bigger to chew I wish to hear, one or two My mainland friends, Yes, I wish to hear you. A different land you may think, f...

With due respect to traditions, History and lived experiences, The wheel of the nation will move on To debate, question, re correct and understand The nation gives us the freedom. Garuda Purana, one of the eighteen puranas Insists on the importance of the eldest son performing the funeral rites, However the role of the daughter is nowhere mentioned I highlight, nowhere are daughters forbided to do so It is nowhere stated they cannot light the pyre For, the purana says it yield fruits that are equal to making Parikrama or circumambulation of earth, Such pure acts, the interpreters insist, should only be performed by the son! Hypocrites that we are, We despise and shout slogans against the poor man who prefer a son, Who has killed three daughters already, Foeticide he is blamed of committing, This poor man is only scared of lying dead alone With no one to free his soul from his body, With no one to light the pyre. With due respect to traditi...