Kites

My friend Arvind Khanna of New Delhi, recently posted this amazing capture of a Brahminy Kite in action. Perhaps this capture is from elsewhere in India, as he travels around.  I hesitate to even say this name of the bird , wondering if there will be protests. 

While I often see similarities in expressions between various birds and folks that wander with great political confidence in the capital,   this particular capture of a bird-in-flight reminded me of an inanimate object; greatly theoretically reverred, but otherwise abused and challenged again and again, for personal and party gain.

(Photograph posted here  with permission of  Arvind Khanna)

It's grown old (since 1950)
with the usual greying;
with eyes to ensure
that we follow rules,
and a huge set of wings
to encompass the सवासो कोटी ,
and protect them.

But it keeps getting assaulted,
misinterpreted,
and questioned,
by some who abhor it.
And so, now,
its wings showing a shredding
with multiparty split-ends,
it prefers to keep at the high ground,
watchfully gliding
and ruing
what life has become.

The Constitution.