A travesty called patriotism

As the dust settles on another independence day, take a pause and think – we may be independent but are we free? What does independence mean to us? Do we truly and deeply value it enough or have we become too selfish to even bother? The answers to these questions are buried deep in our conscience - so deep that our thoughts never pierce the impervious layer of egocentric indifference that separates the thoughts from these questions. Following few lines is an earnest appeal to ask ourselves some hard questions.

This night-bitten dawn; this stain-covered daybreak,
We became independent, perhaps for hell’s sake…
So fettered is this nation by abhorrence and morbid tack,
That God deserted this place a very long time back…

Back in the day when togetherness was our middle name,
We burnt our fingers, but we torched the flame…
We aspired to intelligence and fought for the right reason,
We respected our women – every day of every season…

Then the boundaries and hatred surfaced,
Love and bonhomie were nowhere to be traced…
Progress now meant imitation of the west,
We lost the plot because we digressed…

Violence and deception became the norm rather than exception,
As divisive forces sullied people’s perception…
Our ancestors left us a home we recklessly muddled,
The chaos and mess leaves one bemused and befuddled…

We take a bribe and then salute the flag,
We sing the anthem and then call it a drag…
Independence Day is now just another day off,
To blame destiny and to indulge in scoff…

About time we strive for common good and alleviate some sorrow,
For there are scores and scores who wished there was no tomorrow…
Spare a thought and perhaps a penny,
Share a shelter cos some don’t have any…

When we differentiate between
What to be and what not to be,
Will be the moment when we truly mean
Victory victory…victory to thee…

Kshiteesh Phansalkar, Class of 2015