We came on foot, we came on boats, shouting slogans of Azadi.
We stood on roof tops and sat on walls under the burning midday sun,
Listening to the words that we had longed to hear for so long.
Words that had been scripted through the lonely fears of our hearts.
Words that were spoken now with the clarity of courage.
Words that were spoken now with the suppressed strength of pent up anger.
Words that were spoken now with the certainty of belonging to the soil
Which had become one with the dust of our ancestors.
We stood there in the waves of heat
Feeling the surge and press of countless bodies around us.
Bodies meshed through the odour of sweat
And the shared fear of a common persecution.
And hanging from the roof tops,
And tied to the poles,
And clutched in hands slippery with sweat,
And wrapped round the pillars,
And spreading into our blood,
Were three strips of colour with a wheel of spokes,
Sewn together into the shape of our being.
Woven into the folds of our future and the creases of our past.
Stitched to the seams of the earth, the water, the air and the sky
That belonged to us and to which we belonged.
And we stood there from noon to evening,
We the people of India.
Raising our clenched fists like signposts to the future.
Chanting slogans like a new anthem.
Kin to each other through the ties of community.
Born to live and die
In a nation that was ours to hold on to
And ours to belong to.
Dr Parinitha is a professor of English in Mangalore University. She penned the poem soon after participating in the historic protest against CAA, NPR and NRC at Shah Garden, Adyar, Mangaluru on 15th January, 2020.
Also Read:
‘The more you try to divide us, the stronger and united we’ll be’: Record turnout in Mangaluru’s anti-NRC protest
Anti-NRC protest in Mangaluru brings ‘media bias’ to the fore
Comments
He earned lot of money through spreading false news. After getting lot of money. now he decided to start his own to suck BJP.
I think the center has given him the cooked story to prepare himself before the Bhopal fake encounter case to bohw bohw on the news-hour....thats y he resigns it seems....now he knows the real fact of the feku......Allah will give him Hidaya...
Who ever speaks for Mr .Modi will get XYZ Security. Soon Anupum Kher will also get same facility.Ordinary People work hard and pay TAX. But our Modi Govt uses for all these useless people's Security.
India is Growing India is Shining.
LET HIM GO... WHO WANTS TO KNOW THE REASON... I DON'T.... AND PLZ TAKE AWAY HIS GOVT SECURITY... DONT WASTE OUR TAX MONEY ON SUCH PEOPLE ..............
Finally coward has resigned. Great news for our country's peace and prosperity.
Surely his bad time is nearing, AWASANA KALADALLY VIPAREETA BUDDI
He will start reading news in Khaki chaddi now
Definitely some thing worst expected from this fellow. Might be joined with some anti nation communal group. Other than that nothing nation will expect.
God save our media and the nation.
Jai Hind
Wasting Tax payers money on useless reporter's security.
He will start new channel. RSS now
He will start Patanjali Times with Baba Ramdev.
He is going to make a new news channel with Modi ....Fakes Now.....
Or next Modis spokesperson.....sure....
May be he read the QURAN and understood the REALITY on how EVILs in this world trap people by spilling out venom & by twisting the real FACT.
Arnab goswami where are. You? Nation is worried
When are you coming back
Arnab please come back soon... People are asking \itna sannata kyu hai bhai!!!\". I have not been able to focus at work, getting irritated quickly, not able to eat my dinner, getting sleepless nights.., please come back and tell the nation that you are not dumping all of us!!!
Your viewer from New York!"
MOHAN BHAGAT IS WAITING WITH HIS ARMS OPEN.
Thank god... Finally an end to noise pollution, after Diwali.
Peaceful new year ahead
thank God. Now Indian Journalism is saved from disaster . Work of journalist is to preach truth not to bark and fire in air
The viewers will miss his famous style of questioning the guest panelists: THE NATION WANTS TO KNOW!!!!!!!!
We miss your News hour . Waiting to see you launch a global channel.
He will start a new channel: Name will be TIMES BOW WOW
Crazy man!
Modi would take him in his cabinet.....cant say....\Birds of feather flock together\""
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