'Lathi' the formidable weapon

Vinita Narula

A long stick, 'Lathi' in your hand to support your brisk walk bearing a lanky structure

A straight stick like a spine to hold your heavy small head straight and high

Symbolic of a staff holding our 'Tiranga' fluttering high flying

all over everywhere

Bearing immense glory and our India's pride

'Dandi March' 'Salt Satyagraha' your weapons to match Nuclear Electronic and other stealthy wares

'Maun Vrata' non-violence you preached and practiced was something unfathomable unimagined not understood by the 'Tall and mighty’

Detractors cried foul using cuss words bad language even snide remarks

You went about unbothered undeterred with the ultimate goal in mind

For you were the emissary of the Lord

born to tend to poor ill-treated helpless downtrodden

You resisted aggression holding your calm and poise

No shouting no shaking no shrills no barks

In bewilderment aghast the powers the throne full of greed attention you drew

Abandoning the barristers gown the tuxedo to a bare chest and a loincloth around

Serving one and all treading dust-laden paths with a stick in hand and followers abound

Stuck to the truth with focused bright eyes forcing the piercing looks of the mighty and rich to look down to the ground

Ensuring they realised re-strategised 

Caught on the wrong foot with high hopes dashed astounded they had to make a faceless retreat 

The brown brawn winning over the white skin might

Winning over wrong for that was not right

Winning ever needed contentment over not needed baseless raging greed

Winning the self and national pride that's the most basic of needs

Breaking free of shackles of inhuman mandatory obedience

For a bright free nation filled with umpteen dreams

Making the tricolour fly really really high everywhere all over

Sowing the seeds of civic rights to the world around

Raising hopes desires aspirations that were missing because of rules abound.

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Bio: Vinita Narula is a doting mother and a grandmother, an erstwhile associate professor and vice-principal of Lady Irwin College, Delhi University, with 44 long years of teaching and administrative experience. She has authored 3 academic books, one published by the prestigious publishing house Orient Longman (now Orient Blackswan). The book sold so well that the publishing house had an annual celebratory party for it. She has undertaken numerous projects sponsored by International and National organisations like WHO, UNICEF, NCW, and NCAER to name a few.

Recently, she has begun to tread the literary path and has penned poems and articles for ten anthologies. Her writings and poems have received accolades and she has received many an award and various poetry fora.

She became a proud recipient of the "Lifetime Achievement Award" given by the internationally recognised poetry group "The Significant League" in the year 2019.

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Setu Special 2020 :: Setu, October 2020