Backward or forward
Life is still
But minds are terrorized
Hearts moan
And home is a war zone
Backward or forward
Taking sides are not easy decision
People are not ready to accept submission
Yesterday I was dreaming about my career
Today all I want is the safety of our nation
Backward or forward
People are killed in dozens
Looks like coercion has more fans than cooperation
Peace they promised
Now all our hopes are demolished
Backward or forward
Living in the largest democracy in the world
We don’t have the rights to go beyond our walls
In this age of globalization banned is our communication
No one can imagine the extent of frustration
AFSPA is our law how can they still call us a free nation
Backward or forward
When the whole country celebrates Independence Day
We are locked in our houses and still expected to relish this day
When I just start believing that things will be fine
More people get killed or they are disappeared in lines
Backward or forward
Wrong side of the world
We are stuck
Things which look normal there
We can get only in good luck
In this country of Gandhi’s non-violence
The only way they operate is violence
Backward or forward
Still we have not lost all our hopes
One day we going to climb all thorny slopes
And our people will get Azaadi of accountability, of law and good governance
With welfare of all will wither away our feeling of otherness
Zohra Batul is a research scholar at Jamia Millia Islamia pursuing M.PHIL in International Relations, from Kargil (j&k).