Another Celebration! Poem by PARTHA SARATHI PAUL

Another celebration!

We are happy, we are free;
Free from the foreign rulers.
Guess this happiness is not all;
That`s not all what matters!

It`s great to beat the drum.
We are the largest democracy!
It`s great to feel that we are shining
And to drum it up in a chorus sassy!

Guess here ‘we' stand for all of us!
We all are shining, aren`t we?
Farmers, daily-laborers, factory workers
Domestic helps and working kids` hands: are we?

We are proud Indians.
So many things to be proud of!
Should we not talk about only the bright sides?
Why dark sides in whispers or some voice loud?

Forget all serious issues…..
Forget the pesticide that killed debt-trapped farmers!
Forget the factory lockouts and jobless hands!
Forget all small and huge scams!

We should forget such things or else we can`t be positive!
We mustn`t bother about the toothless Lokpal bill.
We mustn`t worry though rape cases spiral up!
Keep aside all so many such hard pictures; dully negative!

Come on…..let`s celebrate the red letter day.
We are sovereign, secular and republic.
Let`s not talk about the infiltration and ceasefire violation
From our kind neighbors; not even the bloody violence!

We are happy and we are pacifist.
We plead to shun weapons with a group, hardcore extremist!
Drop it! Will you tell me when there`s the next exciting cricket match?
Film festivals, rock concerts, grand finale of music or dance contests!

Bad mouths say, all voters don`t get freedom even on their franchise day!
Many rights are enshrined yet the capital is way far away!
Forget it: let`s celebrate ……
We need an occasion as we need a celebration!
We love occasions but lot more the celebrations!