Kranthi Kumar Mungamuri అగ్రకుల మతోన్మాదులు మీ ఒంటి మీద మిగిల్చిన కుల వ్యతిరేక గుర్తులను చూపించండి…. వచ్చి ఈ… ప్రపంచానికి చెప్పండి వచ్చి ఈ… అణగారిన ప్రపంచ సమాజానికి చెప్పండి… వచ్చి ఈ… అణగద్రోక్కుతున్న మనువాద నవతరానికి చెప్పండి… ఈచోటనే… మా నాలుకలని తెగ్గోసారని ! అది బహుజన విముక్తి నినాదాలను పలుకుతుందని ! ఈ చోటనే… మాసెవుల్లో సిసాన్ని పోసారని ! మీ …
Born a Woman
Meera At times they tell me- I am a goddess, And they drape me- In sandalwood and red, And carry me along- Around the temple. Sometimes they cry- When I am born- Who’ll pay the dowry- When she is finally off- To her in-laws’ place! At times they gawk, At me …
Two Khortha songs (lok geet) of Satish Das
Amyri* (First song) As I lie comfortable in my well-cushioned bed, a song plays through the expensive audio speakers I own. The song is Amyri. Satish Das is the singer. The first verse begins by the song-persona saying he had sown moong along the shores of the river (moong is one of the lentils found …
Two poems by Meera
Meera This freedom is not ours In a tank in Mahad, Long back, he fought- Not for the stale water, But for us, to be seen- As humans. The tank is still there, Stale and filled with moss, Like your eyes- jaundiced, With the moss of manusmriti! Another boy was killed- For the …
Two poems by Jitendra Suna
Jitendra Suna Beauty Conundrum The beauty It lures me, So does the voice, Of Lata Mangeshkar, When I see & hear it, I desire it I seek it! But, then There is a silent revolt Against the beauty, The voice. It exasperates me It itches my mind For its perfection Its flawed existence The …
The Story of My Mind in the Caste Society
Dnyanesh Before you read the poem, let us discuss the context in which this poem lies. It unravels the journey of a human mind that grows up from childhood to its adult age. In this poem, the mind has a distinct journey to tell because it has been nurtured in socialization where caste has been …
Hands off my rights!
Nourin N K Hands off my rights! Like the damaged headlight Of my neighbour’s rickshaw, At first, My country flickered In deadly saffron, Was it a warning? Are we all dead? No! No! No! I see a living ghost, Hovering over Hopeless future. Gates closed, crowds gathered, But you are still too weak to …
Thoughts on Tanya Singh’s poetry collection from Panther’s Paw: ‘Blue is the Colour I Choose’
Chanchal Kumar The Hindi writer Ajay Navaria said in an interview, “We are not Dalits 24 hours a day”. This statement may seem puzzling. Some may think, How can one escape one’s identity at will? The signifier ‘Dalit’ isn’t a uniform that a person can put on for some time and then change into …
Meeting You
Chanchal Kumar “Tumko maine bataya AK called me? He is releasing his second book at India Habitat Centre and he wants me to read at the event. Unkey doosre poet friends will read their poems too.”“So talented boy! Kab hai ye?”“Next week. Sunday, 7th.”“Arrey yaar!”“Kya?”“Uss din hamara welcome party hai, Arunachal Bhawan mei. I …