Representational image of mother and child. Photo: Partha3003, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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Swarajbir has written this poem on the Kangana Ranaut-Kulwinder Kaur slapping incident. The actor turned politician was slapped by now-suspended Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel Kaur at Chandigarh airport on June 6, sparking a nationwide debate. Kaur claimed her “mother was sitting there” referring to Ranaut’s statement that women in the farmers’ protest were “paid Rs 100 each to sit on Delhi borders”.
Mother, O Mother
Spell out my dear mother
What goes in thy heart
Volcanoes erupt and surge
in my heart
Spell out, my dear mother
Who slaps us on each
passing day
Violates our streets
Roars on the screens
The rich and mighty slap us
The wretched bear the pain
False are the promises of
the State
But sometimes
At least some of the times
Yes, sometimes, sometimes
Rises an exhausted pauper
girl
Strong emotions babel in her
heart
She raises and waves her
hand
And dares the ruling devils
This punch
This slap is not a slap O’
mother
It is the cry of my heart
It is my heart yelling and
shrieking
Some say it is right
Some say it is wrong
Mother, it is my heart wailing
Decent at dots
Indecent at spots
You were ensconced with
your own people
When the mighty threatened
you
Threatened you and
challenged you
And this is how
They bludgeoned my heat
It is my heart mother
It is my heart wailing
Wailing and yelling
Decent at dots
Rude at spots
Some say it is wrong
Some say it is right
This is my heart O’ mother
O’ mother of mine
This is my heart
My little defiant heart
Translated by Charanjit Sohal. Thanks to Navsharan and Sumail Singh Sidhu.
Swarajbir is a journalist and the former editor of The Tribune (Punjabi).
