Saturday 20 September 2014

Protesters*

university students raise their voice against atrocities
of police & demand ouster of Vice Chancellor
image source here



The darkness

Hid them all

Even their suffering

But their musical voice

Clapping of hands

Pulled the sun hard

From the dark horizon

The hostile sky was forced

To smile in colors

Of rainbow

I know

That color band is not for long

Will there be a storm?

If there is let there be

I love their song

Halla bol Halla bol**

                

*Braving rains thousands of students from Presidency University, Calcutta University, Jadavpur University (JU) and other educational institutions marched on Kolkata streets on Saturday in a show of solidarity demanding resignation of JU VC after the alleged brutal police action on students inside JU Campus in the early hours of Wednesday.

 

**Raise your voice in Hindi

 


Posted for Poetry Pantry @ Poets United

33 comments:

  1. raise your voice...so fitting.. should do it more often.

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  2. Student power may move mountains if not for police actions. Great lines Sumana!

    Hank

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  3. Powerful and a great testament

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  4. The thing I like best about this is that though it was inspired by a timely political issue, the details of it do not dominate the poem. Instead there are strong poetic images that speak to it in a subtle fashion. Very strong poem.

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  5. When young people raise their voice like that it's a powerful force, and at the end it could change nations...

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  6. Voicing your protest without violence is a sensible course of action, often it is quite effective.

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  7. I like the way you work current events into a timely poem, Sumana! Hopefully the protests were peaceful and will bring about positive results. Your poem inspires me to want to know more of the story. Maybe I will google a bit later today!

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    Replies
    1. There was a case of molestation in the JU campus and a hog wash in the name of inquiry followed..The VC would not listen to the students demand of proper inquiry and had called into the Campus police who wasted no time to unleash brutality on the peaceful protesters...

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  8. They say every storm has a rainbow. I struggle with that.

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  9. Yes! storm or not, be the rainbow for a minute. How beautifully your march holds the line between storm and sun.

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  10. Wonderful expression for justice with compassion and energy.
    ZQ

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  11. I like that they managed to protest against useless brutality in a peaceful way. Thank you for the poetic glimpse into Indian news.

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  12. I admire the courage of the students and protesters Sumana ~ I hope something gets done but what is important to raise one's voice or voices to the issue ~ I too love their song ~

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  13. This thing has become common all over India now a days.

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  14. Youth raising their voices in the defence of justice - how powerful it is! Feel the results will be positive or them and for all country!
    Effective poem! xx

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  15. The hostile sky was forced
    To smile in colors

    These are shining lines to me!

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  16. But their musical voice
    Clapping of hands
    Pulled the sun hard
    From the dark horizon...

    I love these lines. Excellent work.

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  17. If only more would raise their voices. I love a poem that speaks the way yours does!

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  18. i really love the feel that perhaps this protest is one aimed to lift the darkness and have your words heard. lovely!

    stacy lynn mar
    http://warningthestars.blogspot.com/

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  19. Raising the darkness with protest, bringing the opposition hope as well is such a great idea. Love how you expressed it.

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  20. I hope the student's voices get heard. I'm sure they would appreciate your beautiful poem as I do when anyone protest or writes against injustice.

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  21. these brave young ones clamoring for change, its good of you to share this with us; have a nice week

    much love...

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  22. You honor those brave young ones with this piece.

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  23. Really like the juxtaposition of the raised voices and the sun that dispells darkness,

    Elizabeth

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  24. what a recollection! great that it was the inspiration for this wonderfully expressed piece!!! :)

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  25. Words of power, raising hope together. Wonderful tribute

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  26. I can feel the hope, the desperation and yet, power... and the wonder at what will come. I thought these lines were particularly brilliant:
    Clapping of hands
    Pulled the sun hard
    From the dark horizon
    The hostile sky was forced
    To smile in color

    Wonderful!

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  27. Very thoughtful...
    And relevant.

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