CLARION CALL

CLARION CALL

this ancient city can offer you everything
the lanterns under a thatched roof, snake-charmers,
the Gothic buildings narrating their stories,
the hushed up histories of oppressions;
village mukhias passing hukkas to others
like the shifting of power from older generations
to the younger ones without a blood-shed.
this pre-historical city has so much to offer
in arts, culture, literature and the slokas
that vibrated in the forests, carried on by river,
wind from this country to all over the world;
the dolls made out of wood-carving and
the sculptures in the cave-wall-paintings
of terracotta have held the ancient stories for us.
this city has held in high esteem, it’s
oppressors and contributors in same spirit
without malice or hurt-feelings; now when 
we are contributing our might in IT, Economics 
to the world, Mir Jafars have started creating 
troubles within, be it in Kashmir, North-East,
Nandi gram or Delhi in different foul games.
the sand-sculptures at the sea-shore bring
back memories of our religious past,
guide us to a normal unattached life;
the west has taken to the preaching of our sages,
yoga’s, Vedas and Vedantas.while we are still 
vacillating between ‘red salute’ and ‘white pigeon’,
still fighting inner-self to strike the right balance.
Mother, why don’t you chide me for my failures
guide me in the right direction to spread
your message of peace throughout the world
like the Buddhist monks, like King Asoka;
after sixty three years, we are yet to learn our lesson,
so take us to task, misguided young ones
to the path of right and reason to follow.
I await your clarion call mother to be a soldier
in your attempt to fructify past glories,
to help you achieve the position you held 
in the comity of nations in the ancient age;
let the history repeat itself and again
the woods of your land of sanctity
like the age-old banyan tree, provide direction
‘from dishonesty to honesty,’
‘from darkness to light’,
 ‘from death to eternity’.

rajkumar@kolkata
26-09-2010
Note:-1)-Thatched Roof---a hut made of clay and dry hays.
 2) Mukhias---a village chief who presides over meetings of the village
 andempowered to take decisions and pass orders in consultation with his
 five assistants selected by villagers.
 3) Hukka---an instrument of tobacco smoking through a pipe where the smoke
 is inhaled after passing through water, thus reducing the nicotine content.
 4) Vedas, Vedanta’s, Slokas----Sanskrit literatures of by-gone days rich in
 philosophy of life.
 5) Sculptures---for example: Ajanta, Illora, Elephanta, Konark and Khajuraho.
 6) Mir Jafar-A businessman of Murshidabad who betrayed Nawab Sirajudulla.
 This felicited the fall of the Nawab and allowed East India Company to put
 their first step in India.