RENDEZVOUS @ CROSSROADS

  Government does not make the Country The Country makes the Government So my Government….Don’t teach me   So my Government Don’t teach me what to eat For I am the hand who feeds you Don’t teach me my laws For I am the hand that gave you the gavel Don’t teach me what to learn For I am the hand that holds the pen   So my Government Don’t teach me what to think For I am the mind that seeks knowledge Don’t teach me my religion For I am the mind that seeks divinity Don’t teach me what to speak For I am the mind that holds the voice   My country I am the student; I am the farmer I am Hindu, I am Muslim, I am Christian, I am Sikh I am Shaheenbaag, I am Chipko, I am Salt March I am Gujarat, I am Kashmir; I am Kerala, I am Meghalaya I am the labourer who walked from Mumbai to Malgathi I am the worker who saved me from dying near Solapur   So my Country Don’t learn to hate me I am the Country; I am the same Land...

I can’t breathe ... can you? I see Mohan Lal in George Floyd ... do you? I see Arvina Khatun in Breanna Taylor... do you? I see casteism in racism ... do you? I see “goli maro saalon ko” in “looting.. shooting” I see Kashmir in Minneapolis I am yet to be woke... Lives matter... They matter to me on the road They matter to me on the rail tracks Yet I don’t leave my suburban peace Yet I don’t go back and fight for a cause... I can’t breathe ... can you? Painting by  Mumuscape