Freedom At Midnight Poem by lalitha iyer

it has not dawned
freed at midnight;
when the world was sleeping
India escaped from British ruling

the day of Independence
remembered every year
the Saffron flag hoisted dear
the martyrs paid homages
we march off to our homes

are we free, dear Father?
Our freedom has been stained
with the blood of our Father
who laid his life and self
and everything for his country men poor


We corrupted our soil
we adulterated with our sisterhood
we sold our children for money
raped our widows in redlight streets

we are not honest
our ministers are killers
our rulers are looting
our policies are flouted

our villages neglected
our cities drugged parlours
our women are sold without honour
our men escort them into dishonour

our schools are for sales
our education reaches not the poor
our Constitution languishes in courts
our safety spoilt by security men

we are walking slow
bureacracy bows low to toe
to bargaining shylocks foe
we dont have public facilities
no road taps, neither urinals neat

no government safeguards the needy
no defence foresees any tragedy
no fireforce arrives before the end
no paper reports news good and friendly.

Our taps leak
our cracks speak
our roads loose track
our prices hiked peak

floods multiplies
massacres implies
the enemy is within
but our hands are tied

our scientists suicide
our players concede
our culture modernised
our people vulgarised

In the land of holy ganga
polluted rivers people goondas
In the land of Martyrs and Mahatmas
faith and humanity have kissed the soil........