by Vinita Agrawal
[box]India is often referred to as a bundle of contradictions. Through her poem, Vinita Agrawal discusses the exquisite textile that her homeland, India, is, while also pointing out some of the knots in this colourful fabric that need to be untangled.[/box]A land of tea-scented Malhaar1 mornings
Moored to filigree snowy mountains
Where monsoons brandish emerald panoramas
Where coastal winds caress like a lover’s hands
Where deserts raise majestic dunes of pride and valour
Where mists – like granny’s wet eyes – veil verdant valleys
Ah! Women, tear the veils that bury your spirit. Step out!
Jade cardamom gardens, carnelian saffron meadows,
Twin cobalt seas, rain-glazed lagoons – gasps of green
Diamond-hard rocky vastness, rainbow corals under the sea
Copious turquoise peacocks, topaz mustard, golden wheat
All earth’s riches, all world’s fame
Ah! Clear the black smog of human poverty!
Twenty two languages, four hundred dialects
A patois sunning on every terrace like pickle
Sonorous monks, Vedic banks of the Ganges
The calming Azaan2 at dawn, the soothing Gurbaani3 at dusk
The pure strains of chapel music, the heart-stirring temple bells…
Sound is in harmony here, myriad voices are one
Ah! Squash the clamour of communalism!
Let a nation of many become one at heart
One torch, one fire; one beat, one desire
A plateau of dreams, a land of ardour
A cradle of compassion, a goodwill harbour
With a sparkling heritage and a legacy of charm
The warp and weft of warm, exquisite silken yarn
This enchanting homeland textile…
Ah! Untangle its knots forever!
Let threads of steel take over now
And conquer the demons of suppression, illiteracy, communalism
Expunge the pock-marks tarnishing a magical weave
Ah! Let India’s real colours shine, not these shades of grey!
1. Malhaar – a sweet strain of music sung or played especially in the mornings.
2. Azaan – Religious prayers of Muslims
3. Gurbaani – Religious prayers of Sikhs
Vinita is a Delhi based writer and poet and has been published in international print and online journals.
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