On Mother's Day

Remembering Tagore's poem -

Keno cheye accho go Ma Mukhopane

Era chahena tomare chahena je

Era apono Ma yere nahi jane

Era tomay kichhu debena debena

mitthya kobe sudhu hino porane

Tumi to ditechho Ma ja achhe tomari

Shorno shoshyo tabo Janhobi bari

gyano dharmo kato punno kahini

Era tomay kichhu debena debena

mitthya kobe sudhu kato ki bhane

monero bedona rakho ma mone

nayano bari nibaro nayane

mukho lukao ma dhuli shayane

bhule thako jato hino santane

shunno pane cheye prahoro gono goni

dekho katekina dirgho rajani

dukhho janaye ki hobe janani

nirmomo chetanahino pashane

Translating this beautiful poem in English retaining its sense is next to impossible. However here is a feeble attempt.

Why are you staring at our face mother, they don't want you, they don't know you, their own mother. They won't give you anything except for lies and more lies and pretension.

You have given us all you have - golden harvests, pure water, knowledge, religion, virtue. But they don't value all these and will give you nothing, nothing in exchange. You need to keep your agony within you, get rid of those tears, hide your face in dust, forget these lowly sons. Count your time by staring at bleakness and wish that this long night was over. There is no point in recounting your sorrows to cruel and merciless with stony hearts.

Sounds very apt, isnt it, in the context of the state of affairs in our country? The way corruption, criminalization, nepotism, mindless violence and hatred has engulfed this nation, being spearheaded by leaders whose lust for power is only comparable with their lust for wealth, has rendered any great nation building work virtually impossible. Even though the above poem was composed to serve as an eye opener to the evils and atrocities of the colonial rule, it somehow exposed hypocrisy of politics which is more relevant today. Do we find any leader talking about removing sorrows, despairs, miseries around and a strong vision to elevate India from all these? Everywhere we find glib talk, casteism, communalism, vote bank politics, corruption on a massive scale and the greed for power through opportunistic alliances.

Are we heading towards disaster? Already there are enough inidcations. However the sucour is that historically whenever India was facing a grave crisis and going through periods despair an agony, great souls emerged in different spheres of life. Its almost as if evils are necessary for good to thrive. So may be there will be a tougher time, but we'll emerge better and stronger.