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
If he was muslim it would have been \\"\" breaking news im arnab goswamis throat.. Hypocrites dont show this.. Arresting of real terrorists."
oh namo shiva,,,, Not muslim,,, Otherwise story could be manglorean apponited to kill / carry out terror attack in Isareeel, by AL- hamas , hijbul mujahideen,,. many mnay.... Breaking news @ Times now,,,zee new,,,etc etc,,TV9,,,tonight debate with AR-nab Cow swamy.
Mangalore media shouted \Terrorist\" once Mangalorean Muslim youths carries Chakkuli, Kaarakaddi and some snacks. Here gone silent????"
#7 He came to deceive cheddis, the ways they are doing since decades...
NO NEWS SO FAR IN OTHER MEDIA....ONLY I CAME TO KNOW BY CD HERE..
IF THIS WAS HAPPENED TO MUSLIM PASSENGER, WHAT WILL BE THE REACTION FROM THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY AND THE GOVT OFFICIAL INCLUDING POLICE DEPT?????
He came to train RSS and bajarangi pepole so take care
IF MUSLIM FOUND IN SAME ISSUE EVERY NEWS WILL SAY TERRORIST ARRESTED IN MANGALORE AIRPORT.
May be he was taking those bullets to kill Palestinians....need to be investigated....
dont understand what and all this people will be smuggling, golds different case,
ohh really this guy must be crazy. as we all know powerful x ray scanner will be there.
Good work done by airport officials
When a innocent Muslim man was held at the same airport when the Sanghist authorities mistook his tab for an explosive it became an international news. now when this Israel bound passenger arrested with bullets its not at all a news for national media. what a double standard.
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