To Save A Girl... Poem by Pratyush Sahoo

What is this country that I live in?
With no equality
And the quality of life
Differs from husband to wife,
Boy to girl and brother to sister.

Hey mister! Are you doing the same?
Contributing to the national shame!
Replacing your mother's
With the bent ideology of another's.

Perception that women have a particular role in the society
Fills my heart with anxiety.
Where is all of this going?
What will emerge from the seeds that we are sowing?

It makes my head spin
But I’m not giving in
Will keep asking the question
What is this country that I live in?

What is this country that I live in?
That takes away her right to love,
Brutalises her with an iron glove
Rapes her without fear
Of there being justice for her tear.

We’ve demeaned our goddesses,
Gone back on all our promises
Become a gender distorted nation,
Given our conscience a permanent vacation.

What do I tell my daughter?
That she’s growing up to be lamb for the slaughter
We’ve got to make a change
Reboot, reformat, rearrange,
And never give in
No matter how much our head may spin
Just keep asking the question
What is this country that I live in?