Silence, Oh People of Kashmir
POETRY FORMAT, 13 Apr 2020
Dr. M. Ashaq Raza – TRANSCEND Media Service
Silence oh! People of Kashmir
It’s Indian Army, Silence
These’re pro-Pak militants, Silence
Politicians, lawyers, teachers, saints and sages
Traders, tourists, journalists and pilgrimages
Peasants, tenants, boatmen and fruit-sellers
Carpenters, blacksmiths, barbers and cobblers
Silence …………
It’s Indian Army, Silence
These’re pro-Pak militants, Silence
Mothers, sisters, wives and aunts
Lovers, beloved, rubies and gallants
Fathers, brothers, husbands and sons
And oh crying, innocent new ones
Silence …………
It’s Indian Army, Silence
These’re pro-Pak militants, Silence
Apple, almond, nuts, saffron and peas
Parrot, sparrow, nightingales and bees
Lotus, lily, rose and marigold
To all these, the gardener told
Silence …………
It’s Indian Army, Silence
These’re pro-Pak militants, Silence
Fox, jackals, lions and bears
Cow, buffalo, horse and dears
Shrubs, herbs, flowers and thorns
And oh dear creeping earhworms
Silence …………
It’s Indian Army, Silence
These’re pro-Pak militants, Silence
Gulmarg, Pehalgam, Tangmarg and Patnitop
Dal, Wulhar, Chashma Shahi and Nishat
Autumn, summer, spring and winters
Lingua franka and oh cute visitors
Silence …………
It’s Indian Army, Silence
These’re pro-Pak militants, Silence
Sun, sky, moon and mountains
Rivers, valleys, deserts and plains
Villages, cities, jungles and towns
Noon, evenings, nights and dawns
Silence …………
It’s Indian Army, Silence
These’re pro-Pak militants, Silence
Arts, science, sports and literature
Dying culture and idle agriculture
Mosque, temple, church and shrine
And oh others concerns of the divine
Silence …………
It’s Indian Army, Silence
These’re pro-Pak militants, Silence
OIC, NATO, HRCs, United Nations and Amnesty
And the so-called comprehensive test ban treaty
Prithvi, Ghouri, launchers and mortar guns
And whispered the priding nuclear bombs
Silence …………
It’s Indian Army, Silence
These’re pro-Pak militants, Silence
Murder, abduct, kidnap, torture and rape
Burning homes, edifice and the ransack
Cries of widows and orphans’ slaughters
And oh, weeping valley’s daughters
Silence …………
It’s Indian Army, Silence
These’re pro-Pak militants, Silence
No claim, no blame, no court, no police station
Everywhere a jungle rule, everywhere war situation
Everyone a militant, everyone a messenger
Spared not even the common passenger
Silence …………
It’s Indian Army, Silence
These’re pro-Pak militants, Silence
Indians said, we are pro-Pak militants
Pakistanis declared us as Indian agents
Raved the conscience, violence, violence
Interjected we of fool! Silence, silence
Silence …………
It’s Indian Army, Silence
These’re pro-Pak militants, Silence
A confusion, a dilemma on us, you imposed
Difficult to decide, who be supported or opposed
Afraid are we, from our own shadows
Shut the doors and close the windows
And Silence …………
It’s Indian Army, Silence
These’re pro-Pak militants, Silence
A Madrasi and an Afghani
Oh brothers of the Tyranny
Don’t hell our heaven
With thy stupid AK-47
You too have families
Mothers, sisters, wives and babies
If murdered, assaulted, kidnapped or gangraped
Humiliated, blood bathed, photographed, outraged
Tell then about your thought
And think why Kashmiris fought
Though, independence not a joke
But it’s impossible to revoke
Param-vir-chakra and Nishan-e-Haider
Given on genocide or human murder
Oh! Blind masters of the nuclear race
Hates the humanity, your ugly face
Oh foolish sons of one motherland
Don’t be so mad on a piece of land
Stop this massacre and bloodshed episodes
Let’s prevail peace, let linger heavenly abodes
Go back to you home
And let rest this doom
_______________________________________
The poem depicts the situation in Kashmir in early 1990s and does not necessarily reflect current opinion of Poet.
Dr. M. Ashaq Raza is a peace worker and human rights activist based in Jammu, India.
Tags: Poetry
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 13 Apr 2020.
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