It starts with division
‘We’ the majority all powerful against fewer ‘you’
righteous in our indignation against your beliefs
and much aggrieved by your actions
even if there is no evidence of your actually doing it
your caste or religion is enough
to multiply our aversion
your name alone aggravates us
your beards, caps or turbans are dead giveaway
that you don’t belong here
righteous in our indignation against your beliefs
and much aggrieved by your actions
even if there is no evidence of your actually doing it
your caste or religion is enough
to multiply our aversion
your name alone aggravates us
your beards, caps or turbans are dead giveaway
that you don’t belong here
How dare you imagine that you will celebrate
your festivals with gay abandon
go shopping in Delhi and return happily to waiting mothers?
We are entitled to fling you out of the train
poke inside your fridge and ‘handi’ with impunity
a reminder that you live a borrowed life
you, the descendants of aliens
your festivals with gay abandon
go shopping in Delhi and return happily to waiting mothers?
We are entitled to fling you out of the train
poke inside your fridge and ‘handi’ with impunity
a reminder that you live a borrowed life
you, the descendants of aliens
who ruled us for centuries
now under our feet and
we mean to set right what once went wrong
now under our feet and
we mean to set right what once went wrong
If you don’t cower at our sight
vacate seats for us in train
or win the hearts of girls we have been eyeing
you put your life in peril
What the hell! You are dead anyway
just wait till we invent a reason to lynch you
We, the protectors of rectitude
the true nationalists
patrons of scrupulousness, meting out justice
in the name of holy cow, god and motherland
Nalini Priyadarshni is the author of Doppelganger in My House and co author of Lines Across Oceans. Her poems have appeared in numerous literary journals, podcasts and international anthologies. She lives in India with her husband and two feisty kids. More info at- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nalini_Priyadarshni
