Leaders And People Poem by Vachaspati Dwivedi

My father once said...
There were leaders and people
Forced in slavery
Doing Satyagraha
Sharing lathis, boots and abuses
Endless pains and bullets
Of the British
For Independence.

In 1947, they went back home
Rejoicing
And made a ‘tryst with destiny’
Fasting and feasting
Thirsting for dreams
All gathered waiting.

Now I see
Lonely men
Sans their leaders
Where are they gone?
Today they are senior bachelors
“who are more equal than us”
Driving their limousines.

Now we are at an impasse
Where our future
Gapes at us
Like a big hollow.
Do they recognize “cattle class”
Who wait in silence
And lose their dreams.