Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Asifa, and victims all!


Rape is to be condemned.
Murder, never condoned.
Those who loudly protest,
Where were they all this while?

Increasing crescendo
Of manufactured rage;
A trap they fall into
When they protest in outrage!

Why is rape more heinous,
Or worthy of notice,
In some cases, some not,
Who's the one who decides?

There's no colour to blood,
No religion for child,
Scream those still in outrage;
But still, someone decides!

Condemn rape if you must,
Or support the girl child;
But why do it this time, 
I'd rather protest against!

For not all rapes are same, 
Nor all children are one;
Nor do I wish to be led,
as part of unthinking herd!

Those who protest the loudest, 
Media, filmstars and the rest,
Care the least about us,
Nor child, nor murder, or rape!

I'd rather not be a pawn,
Played by some unseen hands,
As much a victim as her,
The one whose death we mourn!


Monday, April 16, 2018

Asifa


The rape and murder of a child,
Is tragedy for kith and kin.
For  many others 'tis symbolic,
A chance for politics, messaging!

If rape is not about religion,
Then why is it so important?
Those who hold the candle-light marches,
You think you're protesting rape, you're not!

If the law finds it difficult
To bring the guilty to justice,
'tis cause it favours those in power,
Was never champion for poor kids!

If the victim is a muslim,
and the perpetrators hindu,
In which crime is faith important,
Why is being hindu ignoble?

I hold the crime as dastardly.
My mind screams and protests in rage,
As much against the liberal apologists,
As the fact that it's a child, and rape!

Those who hold your candlelight marches,
And show unity for a cause;
Think! Who holds the strings of the puppets,
What exactly is the cause, and pause!


Thursday, April 12, 2018

Zuckerberg's Senate Hearing


Mark Zuckerberg's Senate hearing happened yesterday - to me, this looks like the beginning of the end of one more monopoly. There is cause to cheer, but then, we who cheer, cheer too soon and too much!

- - - - - - - - - 

Oh, how we like to see the mighty fall,
and grovel in front of a common court;
Is it any surprise that the rich at all,
are paranoid, and guard their backs at all times?

The fall from grace first, and the fall follows;
The more we lauded him, more we resented;
How we hated being beholden, helpless - 
It built up as we grovelled in his presence!

The Governments have always controlled us,
Through access to our lives by many means;
But they hate it when an upstart outsider,
acting alone, starts wielding their stick!

Only Governments have the power to regulate,
Of Aadhaar, Tianenman Square and Watergate;
A Facebook or Bitcoin that upsets them,
Will be squashed, and meet its eventual end!

Meanwhile, what of us, the poor citizens,
Cheering when the villain's thrown to the lions?
We work the galleys; Bread and Circuses,
Are the king's ways of keeping us entertained!



Monday, April 9, 2018

Chanda Kocchar


With icons like Chanda and Shikha,
Women power has just awakened;
Poster girls of the new India,
On them was a greater burden!

We raise some people to god-hood,
and give them undue share of praise;
In turn we expect a sainthood,
That even the saints can't emulate!

Power leads to more corruption;
More of it corrupts absolutely.
What matter if it's women or men,
Lust and greed know no boundaries!

There's a lot of smoke, and cloud, and haze,
To hide the muck that lies underneath,
Each actor tries to queer the pitch,
Too many, and too much at stake!

Never raise anyone to such heights,
The fall will be hard when it comes;
Achievement, excluding all else,
Views the world with only one lens!

We celebrate all achievement,
and rightly so: one needs to aspire;
But there's no one I want to emulate
in full: for all Gods have feet of clay!




Tuesday, April 3, 2018

A Bubble World


My data is being stolen,
By people most unscrupulous,
To whom I remain beholden,
For my existence in the Cloud!

I got in and stripped myself bare,
In full view of the world at large.
How dare they use that data mine,
'Twas meant for a moment's delight!

I didn't pay for it to be sure,
For bondage in free marketplace;
Romped and frolicked in public glare,
But 'twas but for moment's delight!

I revel in all these platforms,
They reflect my world-view to me;
Give me the likes I so much want,
In world full of people like me!

I liked that no boundaries exist,
I could applaud, curse, rant and rave,
But I thought my data was kept,
In a place that's secure and safe!

Oh! How I hate them, the monsters,
They went and sold this data mine,
To all kinds of tricksters and fraudsters,
Who then show me more of what I like!

A nice and secure bubble it was,
I didn't know they were peering in;
When I didn't pay and they let me dance,
That I would pay such a heavy price!