There were no lines that drew you from me
I had no flag, no anthem, no lines that said you stood outside
I had nothing, only the world which housed many worlds
Where you and I were one;
Till the day they drew barbed wires between you and me
And shoved me into a sky like a square grey patch
Till Shaheen Bagh happened
And the women with raised fingers
Women with children in their arms
Students with the Constitution
And Baba
And Gandhi
Held high
Above their bloody heads
Their broken arms and shattered hands
Marched,
Marched,
Marched,
Long into the night,
Singing
AAZADI! AAZADI!! AAZADI!!!
Till then I did not sing the song Baba sang for us
Or hold your hand as my life was in it
Now I sing!
Now!
EDUCATE! AGITATE! ORGANISE!
Now!
SOVEREIGN! SOCIALIST! SECULAR! DEMOCRATIC!
Now!
Now!
Now I celebrate this country that was mine, ours,
Where no lines break our skies
Or kill our bird songs
That promises to me no barriers to love
Nothing but you and me sister.
Nothing but us,
Together, Forever, Raging
AAZADI! AAZADI!! AAZADI!!!
Arathy Asok is a Kerala based poet
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