Baburao Bagul
You who have Made the Mistake
Those who leave for foreign lands,
Embrace other tongue, dress in alien garb
And forget this country
-them I salute.
And those who do not forget,
And don’t change even after being beaten up for
centuries
-such hypocrites I ask:
What will you say if someone asked you-
What is untouchability?
Is it eternal like god?
What’s an untouchable like? What does he look
like?
Does he look like the very image of leprosy?
Or like the prophet’s enemy?
Does he look like a heretic, a sinner, a
profligate, or an atheist?
Tell me,
What will your answer be?
Will you reply without hesitation:
‘Untouchable- that’s me?’
That’s why I say-
You who have made the mistake of being born in
this country
must now rectify it: either leave the country,
or make war!
Translated by Vilas Sarang
very good poem
ReplyDeleteSuperb
ReplyDeleteThis poem is aging like fine wine, the times where our women are being raped by abominations, ogres, depicted as the worst of the worst in art, the common man being sucked out of his money and life. The middle class man, well, who remembers them?
ReplyDeleteBaburao Bagul has written a poem about Dalits, I'd like to extend the notion of this poem to the middle class person, surviving in India. No man or woman can enjoy his life, every part of their personality sucked by society. Night life? No, Relationships? No, etc etc..
I feel jealous of Westerners complaining about their first world problems, the littlest of things. Yes, it is a mistake of being born in this country.