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Tribute to Nandigram Protest

Most of the readers of my blog, I am sure, are aware of the gruesome killings of protesting peasants and farmers by the West Bengal state in India that happened almost a month before. It has got considerable media coverage and some good in-depth analyses are readily available on net. As a mark of respect (I hate to 'sympathise' with a good cause) I wrote few words:

Pukaar

Aur, is aasmaan ke saaye mein
Ye zameen jo door talak dikhti hai,
Lahoo ke rang mein zinda hokar
Khoye kadmon ke nishaan doondhti hai,

Lab jo sil gaye the bebasi mein
Ek "Pukaar" jo sulagti thi khamoshi mein,
Sathon (surface) ko chirkar jo nikla wo
Wo maut hi tha jo zindagi mein utra wo,

Kuch mitt gaye, kuch mita gaye
Ek aag dilon mein laga gaye,
Takht-e-siyaasat to na palat sake, par
Takht-e-umraan wo hila gaye.

This time to "aid" my readers, I have also done an English version (and NOT a translation). I think I am seriously incapable to do a translation of the above; so the following is just an impression:

A Call

Beyond the line
Till the horizon
Where the grief impales our vision,
The traces of life in which are fading
That world, seemingly is changing,

For years, we remained mute,
Alive but not astute
Nonetheless, we nurtured a speechless agony
One that haunted our lives incessantly,

We hoped, we tried
We perished in our cry,
No, we didn't succeed,
Or did we? let the future decide.

Comments

Indigo Nyx said…
its a brilliant piece of work Nitin.... i'm touched
Indigo Nyx said…
dis is specially ver intense!

Takht-e-siyaasat to na palat sake, par
Takht-e-umraan wo hila gaye.


bahut khoob!
Sadia said…
The poem is nice. and like psycho I like the takht-e-siyasat part the most :)
It should be Ek pukaar jo sulagti thi khamoshi mein. there's a little gender problem there :)
Nitin Sinha said…
Ashu: That line came all of a sudden to my mind, and then that was it. Nothing would have better explained the dilemma which I wanted to capture: the dilemma of a failed but useful initiative.

Sadia: corrections done. Thanks for pointing it out. :)
Anonymous said…
nice piece..gud choice of words for a post like this..
inspiring !!
Nitin Sinha said…
Thanks Rashi. :)

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