Pratishtha Pandya

Antara Raman

Illustration

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Unnao: Two Dalit Girls Found Dead in Field, Third Critical– The Wire, February 18, 2021Dalit Girl’s Body Found Hanging From Tree In UP, FIR Filed Against 3 For Rape– Outlook India, January 18, 202115-year-old Dalit girl’s dead body found in Uttar Pradesh field, kin suspect murder– The Hindustan Times, October 3, 2020After Hathras: 22-year-old Dalit woman raped, killed in Uttar Pradesh– The Indian Express, October 1, 2020Uttar Pradesh Dalit girl, victim of brutal gang rape, dies in Delhi hospital– The Hindu, September 29, 2020Uttar Pradesh: Teenage Dalit girl raped, body found hanging from tree– Firstpost, February 19, 2015Another minor found hanging from a tree in Uttar Pradesh, family alleges rape and murder– DNA, January 12, 2014

Sunflower fieldsPerhaps this is no place for them to grow Perhaps this is no time for them to bloom Perhaps this is no season for them to smile the rain is too harsh around. Perhaps there is no sunshine to gather Perhaps, no space to breathe   We know, there is no reason to doubt. We know that it is true.We know they will be pecked and eaten plucked and crushed and slaughtered We know when the flowers are brown and ready to be harvested and how the tender and young taste when they are devoured fresh One by one they all must burn or get butchered Each just waits her turn.Perhaps the night is too cruel to love and the wind too harsh to care Perhaps the soil’s too soft to stand the weight of tall flowers with spines But then how dare they grow in such astounding numbers these wild sunflower fields?Fields of untouchable beauty as far as eyes can see Bright-lit flames of green and gold kick their little feet and laugh – the giggles of girls who fly the giggles of girls who dance and lift their heads so high up and stand on their two little feet. In tiny fists they hold a fiery orange glow.It is not just the scorching ash from the makeshift pyre in the distance, there are sunflower fields in my womb that make my eyes water and burn.Audio: Sudhanva Deshpande is an actor and director with Jana Natya Manch, and an editor with LeftWord Books.

Crushing the flowers in fields of sorrow

துயரத்தின் தோட்டங்களில் கசக்கியெறிப்படும் மலர்கள்

বিষাদৰ পথাৰত মোহাৰি পেলোৱা ফুলবোৰ

વેદનાના ખેતમાં કચડાતાં સૂરજમુખી

ನೋವಿನ ಹೊಲದಲ್ಲಿ ನಲುಗುವ ಹೂಗಳು

ദുഃഖത്തിന്‍റെ പാടങ്ങളില്‍ നശിപ്പിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന പൂക്കള്‍

ਦੁੱਖ ਦੇ ਖ਼ੇਤਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਫੁੱਲਾਂ ਦਾ ਮਧੋਲ਼ਿਆ ਜਾਣਾ

ଦୁଃଖର କ୍ଷେତରେ ଫୁଲଗୁଡ଼ିକୁ ଦଳିବା

বিষাদের মাঠে খুঁটে খাওয়া ফুল

शायद यह उनके खिलने का समय नहीं है

دُکھ کے کھیتوں میں پھولوں کو کُچلنا

Ahmedabad

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Crushing the flowers in fields of sorrow

The continuing and appalling atrocities against young Dalit women in Uttar Pradesh inspired this poem

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