It started with body pain–
Then taste was lost
And cough followed
Before fever struck down
Democracy.
Arrested by home isolation
The temperature was worsening
And every breath was an effort
For democracy.
Rushed to the hospital
And stuck in an endless wait
And deceived in the name
Of a bed
That was nowhere.
On the street could be found
The ailing body
Of democracy.
A bed got managed somehow
But oxygen was still scarce
Not even the famed black markets
Could arrange it
For democracy.
The breathing ended
The heartbeat stopped
But nobody heard
The soft dying screams
Till on the garbage dump
Was found
The corpse
Of democracy.
Translated from Marathi by Dr. V. Kalyan Shankar.
Rohini Bhat Sahni is a well-known Marathi writer and a social scientist. She retired as Professor and Head of the Department of economics, University of Pune. Located in Pune, she engages in research on development economics. Her work is related to unorganised labour markets in India, including sex work and waste pickers, issues related to higher education in India, consumption cultures, urbanisation and poverty. She has extensively published in the Economic and Political Weekly.
Featured image credit: Pariplab Chakraborty