India Rising Part Iii Poem by Diwakar Bhatt

Soon they were everywhere, dictating terms, outraging our humility,
Masters they were, with their law of land, dragged us into servility.

Farmers were to produce only indigo to be sent to foreign factories,
Land turned infertile; farmers became laborers to face more cruelties.

Day by day, conditions were becoming abysmal for common folk,
Every morning brought miseries, scarcities, life turned into havoc.

In shackles and chains of slavery with deep sighs of despair relentless,
Every soul wept without tears to mourn their existence so meaningless.

But a ray of hope tried to penetrate the dark alleys of desperation,
When Mangal Pandey blew the bugle to ignite the fire of liberation.

The sacrifice of queen of Jhansi acted as fuel to the fire of liberation,
An upsurge of anger rocked the hearts of all to finish the White villain.

But due to lack of leadership and direction, the inevitable happened
First war of independence came to an unceremonious untimely end.

Though it seemed an end but the fire was dead on the surface temporarily,
Smoldering embers left underneath for conflagration to wipe them out fully.

Many killed, many more hanged but their efforts were not in vain,
They were the martyrs who left a trail to follow for the final gain.

The first struggle for freedom became a source of inspiration perennial,
It soon reincarnated as the modern national movement, wide and reliable.