Processions

My bogger and FB friend Priyadarshan Kale (aka Harekrishnji and Rajabhau) has been driving and trekking in the hills on the outskirts of Pune, and his photographs and commentary on the rural scene, food, and people is something you shouldn't miss.

 So many of his photographs, feature the ordinary men and women, who never feature on TV and newspapers, but are the actual hardworking folks, roughing it out, so all of us can enjoy our lives with so many food and other conveniences.

This visual of the subserviently walking sheep, head down, followed by a helpless resourceless dog , simply accentuated a glaring contrast of life as we observe it today.

The Marathi version was inspired first;  the English happened later.

(photograph by Priyadarshan Kale)

गुळगुळीत संसदीय फरशी वरून,
जोडीने पुढे
विलंबित तालात चालणार्या
सभापतींची जोडी,
मागे लष्करी इत्माने कवायतीत चालणारा
लष्करी अधिकारी,
आणि
मागोमाग रेशमी भार्दस्तातेत
संथपणे पदन्यास करणार्या राष्ट्रपती ....

आणि
वैराण टेकड्यांवरून
वण वण फिरणारी
दगड धोंड्यांवारून ठेचकाळत
आयुष्याच्या उतारावर
एका कुत्र्याच्या मदतीने
शेळ्या हाकणारी ग्रामीण शेतकरीण.....

सांजवेळी ,
एक ,
शेळ्यांनी उडवलेल्या धुळीच्या कणात
आपले स्वप्नातले घर बघते ....
आणि दुसरी ,
एका सहीने, मान डोलावून
अधिकाराच्या धुंदीत
आपले भविष्यातले घर नक्की करून घेते.

काय म्हणालात, स्वातंत्र्य मिळवून किती वर्ष झाली ?

Slow stepping
in pairs
across the red sandstone,
House speakers in pairs
leading the procession,
followed
by an alert,
solitary,
marching,
military aide,
leading
the land's first citizen,
swathed in
heavy sycophantic silks
with a suggestion of gold.

And somewhere,
far away,
two willful wayward sheep
running wild,
followed by a
frustrated guard dog,
as the farmer's wife,
turned shepherdess,
stumbles
across rocky difficult
barely grassy terrains
looking for food
for her wards.

One,
Returning
to what she calls
a home,
amidst the evening dust
kicked up by the
unsatisfied sheep
 
And the other,
with a flick of a gilt edged
official pen,
and a satisfied nod,
signing away
to herself,
an official house,
of the people,
but not by the people,
or for the people.

Beg your pardon,
Did you just ask about when we gained independence ?