Duties of the Powerful, Rights of the Weak

In the range of black to white
Few are found in grey
Of those, only the fearless dare to write
and voice their dismay
In a pyramid with storeys, at different heights
Listening to those on top, even in plight
With no query or scrutiny in sight
Below them, we are forced to stay
Heedless, while they lead astray
From order, to disarray.

Dissent, demonstration is met with smite
With impunity, they lynch, they incite
Setting our liberty ablaze
Every few weeks, every few days
Dicing us into parts
Based on custom and costume,
creed and caste
And many other trivial ways
Every few weeks, every few days.

At this crucial hour of the night
Educate, agitate, organise, unite
Instead of being a mute today
Choose to be upright
Even in dark, deprived of light
Don’t surrender, nor fright
Resist, persist, hold your place
Fly high! the mockingjays
Be the one, who shall ignite
the torch of truth, in deceiving haze.

If they ask you to focus
on duties over rights
Tell them that’s bogus,
a cliché among their slights
More power means more duties
They work for us, not the other way
Be it the sarpanch, or the MLA.

Make haste before it’s too late
They legitimised discrimination
Normalised hate
They brainwash the mob, make them say
“The privileged is entitled to exploit the frail”
At this, you must shout, “Hey!
this is not okay”
If a just society is what you seek
Set your bias away
Inquire and critique
To ‘them’, I speak
“Duties are for the powerful,
rights are for the weak”.

Ripudaman Singh is a pre-final year student at IIT Roorkee, pursuing his bachelor’s in engineering.

Featured image: Pariplab Chakraborty