| Before
you are excited and cry hoarse
that women are exceedingly pure, they are goddesses
and Mother Sitas
before you get angry and abuse us for denying it
grasp the real truth
Don't go on
attributing exceptionally virtuous nature to us
rubbing on us all great qualities of goodness
don't douse us in garlands of praise
in the sultry heat of wifely duties that doesn't emit
wisdom
Freedom is a human being's right-equality a hymn we
recite |
We
have a vision
Because it had not become a collective vision
because our sight and voice had been curbed in the name
of preserving family secrets
we had not spoken out all these days
we had not strayed away from the codes the male world
had imposed
Now a question is tormenting us
an existential predicament is bothering us day and night |
| We
are half the workforce |
| The
burden imposed on us to increase the wealth of the universe |
| |
is
a half too heavy to bear |
| |
Still
we get a raw deal when it comes to wages of labour or
official rules or appointments
in the mirror of equality ours is always a belittled figure |
It's
we who sow the seeds in the fields
It's we who rear the human seeds into fruit bearing trees
It's we who till now have gathered the gleanings of your
sympathy
It's we who have stood up now with only our abilities
as weapons
to oppose your callousness in ignoring
our sweat which streamed out for all of us
our tears of patience we stifled for ages
Yes, it's we who have cast off our shyness to confront
you
|
| |
for
our share of love and respect |
Our
path is clear to us
Our feet are ready to run on stony and thorny paths
Before we beat the drum
before we blow the conch to proclaim the struggle
here is the forewarning for you-
As father, as brother, as husband, as son
love us equally
criticize us rationally and give us only due respect
When this does not happen
our social outlook will turn toxic
the welfare of the world will turn venomous for us
Don't drive us towards destruction and annihilation of
all
After all if the struggle must begin we are not responsible
for any damage |
