Independence!!

As part of the 64th Independence Day Celebrations at IIM Indore, the Cultural and Social Affairs Committee conducted an article/poem writing competition. The following poem titled “Independence” was judged the winning poem among a number of entries.

It’s been more than sixty years,
Since we began our journey,
When the whole world had slept,
And we had made a tryst with destiny,

It was a new day for us,
A feeling of self-accomplishment,
A sense of utmost contentment,
As hands clasped together, we prayed for a better India,

It’s been more than sixty years,
But the fears still exist,
The pain does persist,
As hands clasped together, we still pray for a better India,

Is hoisting the tricolour enough,
Is chanting the national anthem enough,
Where is the pride, the enthusiasm,
The feeling of unity and patriotism,

We are known for our tolerant culture,
But are we for our sceptical nature,
We fear or hate our own brothers,
Just because of a difference in caste or religion,

We talk about eradicating,
Poverty and corruption,
Yet we repeatedly keep exploiting,
The masses forming the bulk of the population,

We prefer to watch the reality shows,
Than face the distressing reality,
We care more for our cricketers,
Than our war heroes and survivors,

It’s been more than sixty years,
Yet we live in darkness,
Waiting for that one glow of light,
To get us out of the self-created mess,

Was this the dream of the “Mahatma”,
Was this the India we craved,
Was this the nation we wanted,
As hands clasped together, we keep praying for a better India,

It’s time we stand up,
For our beloved motherland,
It’s been more than sixty years,
And it’s time we carve a better India with our magical hand………

Ninad Bhangle, (Class of 2013)