When half of my nation sleeps
with half-filled bellies, under the half-roofs,
with half-hopes of a ...
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When half of my nation sleeps
with half-filled bellies, under the half-roofs,
with half-hopes of a mouthful tomorrow,
when half of my nation grows up with half-rights
to education and employment,
with half-health produces babies, with a half-heart
chokes before the stoves that burn wood,
and cook half-water curries made with half-salt,
when half-length men walk the streets
half-naked, willing to work for half-wages,
half-grown women slip into beds at half-price,
when half-sane leaders pocket half-funds,
and divide the nation into halves that fight,
(haves and not-haves all half-fooled)
when half-castes organize into brigands,
and seek half-reservation for their half-intellect,
when half of the news is of rapes, riots, extortions,
half-nation worries about Naxalists, Maoists, terrorists,
half-resolved cases haunt the courts,
where victims of the crime wait half-lives
for half-compensations,
when half-history is distorted or concocted,
sacrifices of men like Gandhi half-known, half-respected,
when half-heritage is lying like wreckage, and half-religions
have pocketed half-faith and finished the better half,
when half-talented sportsmen cloud TV with ads,
half-naked woman talk of modernism with half-minds,
half-cultured men, hypocrites, type half-lies into their
tax returns, and half-acknowledge their sexual slights,
when half of my nation cannot even read or hear my voice,
and other half will ignore it by their own choice,
and half-close their eyes to see half-blessed dreams
of half-American lives.
(Revised version)
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Also appeared in The News Verse News in July 2008
http://newversenews.blogspot.com/2008/07/half-happy-with-india-turning-into.html
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brilliant...but i must say that there is no point in complaining or feeling sorry...
I remember a friend of mine who left college to take up job that paid in dollars in the US who was very passionate about the freedom struggle and swore that he would have taken part in the struggle if he was born in that period. I really doubted it because i belive that there are equally important isuues right here, right now and what was his contribution to them?
But then again, how can i comment on somebody's decisions and life...
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Thanks folks.
It is revised version of a poem I had post earlier this year.
I wish to rejoice at our achievements of the year, without forgetting that work has only begun.
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A very powerful piece of writing,
Harry and Helen
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Nice
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Are we bestowed with half brain that we behave this way?
The lament of the poet is justified.
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Bravo! More power to your pen!
D
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This was a wonderfully powerful piece of writingvivek jii
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