The Digital Din

Said a little bird "I wish, I wish

Do this, do that, and be time rich. 

A day has just so many hours

So much of it on the laptop for the work farce. 

Then the mobile with us toys. 

There is just so much noise. 

The notifications get my attention. 

Then Telegram pops-up with one more question. 

The pages of the book drew me in, 

Kept me cocooned away from this din. 

Yet, I wonder why I can't cope. 

With more platforms, why do I only mope. 

More time I need perhaps

Should not let my attention lapse."

But no, what you need, is to relax.

To trust yourself to be on the right track.

Let the mind absorb at a speed that suits it. 

The world marches to its own beat, let it. 

Why join the crowd, when you are unique.

Why berate yourself for needing peace.

- Written on 6 October 2020.

- A student of mine was wishing for more time to spend on thr course. He seemed to be doing quite enough to us teachers but somehow his simply expressed desire struck me to write this for him, but also applies to all of us. 

The Stench of Caste, The Winds of Patriarchy

One more rape, one more sensation,

Soon to be: remain forgotten. 

Oh! Some anniversary we may celebrate.

Her name too we will take in vain. 

Jyoti or Manisha it matters not,

Nothing may ever stem patriarchy's rot.

As long we divert with the unemployment claim,

As long we refuse to the system change,

As long as we insist on false narratives,

As long as we fail to see how we are casteists,

As long as we deny the racism in this,

No change will come, no change can exist. 

Let's talk caste, let's talk of patriarchy,

Let's talk of the power hierarchy.

Let's talk Serious Man who naively thinks,

The 4th generation will live with equality. 

Let's talk capitalism that helps thrive

People with power to oppress and survive. 

Let's talk about our obsession 

With so called traditions as distraction. 

But then that is what we always do. 

At least till the next Netflix show:

Talk, rant, rage online

Vow not in my country, not in my time. 

Sure, so believable. 

Proven track record, so credible. 

What was the name again? 

Something, something... I must/do disdain. 

Oh well! Some other day

Today we chill. Tomorrow we find a way. 

Take a deep breath, have chai and pakodas

Mama makes them for us helpless bachchas.

#Hathras #Patriarchy #Caste #WahWahGandhigiri

- Written on 2 October 2020

- Self-explanatory. Google the first three hashtags, if needed.