The gut feels heavy as I write this
as statistics turn into flesh and blood,
with names and memories,
with words like ‘urgent’ and ‘please’
bearing the weight of a loved one’s life.
Migrant workers politely asked to not move,
to stay put and die–
tallest statues in the background,
biggest rallies in the front,
and ‘leaders’ singing requiem
through the loudest mic.
With heaps of corpses everywhere,
courts allowing private properties
to turn into burial and cremation grounds
the reportage of death is very ‘negative’, say some
now we are too used to lying…
An establishment that spent money
buying constituencies
and spent energy writing chargesheets
against students and farmers
is asking the public to unite.
Someone must suggest they pass a bill
making the dying and the dead eligible to vote.
Perhaps then they will finally give their oath of allegiance to the public
an honest try.
Rachit Sharma works in the social sector, he designs and facilitates leadership programs for young people. He is currently based in Meerut.