Dawn...
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We boast of a glorious past, of a land of original thinkers, The site of the greatest revolution, The minds of the deepest philosophy, The soil from where religions sprouted and the preachers of non-violence. Where the swords of anger melted before a gospel of love, Where the bullets of the then savage British, bounced off the hearts of a nation inspired, Where Ashoka scorned the battlefield on the day of victory - his spirit transformed by the divine Buddha, Where there is god in every animal, Where the writers of the greatest epics - contributors to a wealth of thought didn't inscribe their names to their work, Where there was the concept of yuga - a timescale unimagined by anyone else Where there always was secularism, the recognition that all paths lead to God, the oneness of all nature, the culture of forgiveness; We boast of all this. Our swas a nation from which bold new ideas gushed out uninhibited, Ours was a land that always held a different vision of how things are and should be. Where else was an answer to the sound of gunfire not by a bigger and better gunfire but by a messenger of peace? The concept of non-violence as a weapon of war, invented by Gandhi studied by Martin Luther King. Why then do we sit today inspiring only weaknesses amongst each other, Why isn't there a surge of strength? |
How can our exploited masses awaken, if the educated amongst us are sleeping? With inequity that is growing With our people hungry and shelter less living in consumptive surroundings Little children with running noses shivering and crying for love and care, Who else will solve our problems? Not our ancient culture, not our glorious past, Ridiculed and humiliated, by every newspaper in the world, India they say, is a nation that self-destructs Where is our energy, where is our originality, Why are we all so lethargic so tongue tied and shy? Our people have faced tougher challenges before, Let us set free our slaven spirit, if a handful of people in Europe could conquer, destroy and rule over all of Africa and Asia, Why can't a handful of us flood our country with hope and love, With intelligent projects and dedicated struggles, a tryst with destiny, Starting from every university, reaching every Indian household, here in the 21st century, let us unite, put our minds and hearts together, and send back to our motherland A signal of the dawn of a new era, Students and professionals like us, inspiring one and all, Let us plant in our country, the seeds of change, Let us free our country from the shackles of poverty. |
| -- Ravi Kuchimanchi | |
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