Once upon a time there were three neighbours – Katherine Kaur, Bodhi Murmu and Mohammed Tulsiraam. Kathy was a farmer; Bodhi worked at a jute mill; and Mohammed was a cowherd. None of them knew what to do with that heavy tome, the Indian Constitution that many learned people in the city were making a brouhaha about. Kathy said it was useless, Bodhi thought perhaps it was divine, and Mohammed even asked, "Will it feed our children, eh?"

The fact that a bearded king had been elected, the three neighbours couldn't care less, " Akhir itna waqt kiske paas hai?" And then the rains failed, the debts mounted, and Katherine found the bottle of pesticide whispering her name. Next the jute mill went bankrupt. The police teargassed the protesting workers and Bodhi Murmu was slapped with terrorism-charges for leading them. At last came Mohammed Tulsiraam's turn. One fine sanatani (sanctimonious) evening his cows came home, followed by sword-wielding two-legged calves. " Gau-maataa ki jai! Gau-maataa ki jai!"

Amidst the demonic chanting, somewhere a few pages rustled, a blue sun rose, a faltering whisper was heard:
"We, the people of India, having solemnly resolved...

Listen to Joshua Bodhinetra recite the haikus



A constitutional lament

1.
Our land is sovereign ,
so is our thirst, trapped in a
cloud as red as rust.

2.
Socialist
bandish ,
why do we dream? Under the
sun our workers scream.

3.
Mandir, masjid, church,
and a tomb — tridents lodged in
a secular womb.

4.
O Democracy !
Just for a vote, 'Death is a
debt,' our pundits wrote.

5.
Once a republic
swears in a king, Buddhas fall
and bayonets sing.

6.
Under the eye-patch
justice wore, there are no eyes —
well, not anymore.

7.
Farm-fresh liberties
sold in a mall, packed in jars
of sweet folidol.

8.
Sacred cows and black
black steaks — that is a bread our
égalité bakes.

9.
Fraternity harks —
shudras sigh in a field of
rye, and brahman barks.

The poet would like to thank Smita Khator for some invigorating conversations that led to the writing of this poem.

Joshua Bodhinetra

जोशुआ बोधिनेत्र यांनी जादवपूर विद्यापीठातून तुलनात्मक साहित्य या विषयात एमफिल केले आहे. एक कवी, कलांविषयीचे लेखक व समीक्षक आणि सामाजिक कार्यकर्ते असणारे जोशुआ पारीसाठी अनुवादही करतात.

यांचे इतर लिखाण Joshua Bodhinetra
Illustration : Labani Jangi

मूळची पश्चिम बंगालच्या नादिया जिल्ह्यातल्या छोट्या खेड्यातली लाबोनी जांगी कोलकात्याच्या सेंटर फॉर स्टडीज इन सोशल सायन्सेसमध्ये बंगाली श्रमिकांचे स्थलांतर या विषयात पीएचडीचे शिक्षण घेत आहे. ती स्वयंभू चित्रकार असून तिला प्रवासाची आवड आहे.

यांचे इतर लिखाण Labani Jangi