Are They Woodcutters? Poem by Rajendran Muthiah

They aren’t lumberjacks to hack the Red Sanders.
Wherever they get work, there will be these tribals,
leaving their families in their hilly terrains.
Till they come back with new clothes and sweets,
their children pass the time in government schools,
eating the free noon meals and reading the free books.
They aren’t aware of the Doon school or any Matric school
where children pay a lakh for IIT entrance –coaching.
They don’t aspire for the post of collector or MLA
The job of last grade servant readily comes to their minds.

The sages who wag their tongues in Vedhic lore
and the smugglers who connive with ministers
of ruling parties in States of our country,
have a large network of brokers and agents
to procure men and materials from the regions
where scarcity has heisted the life of poor people,
to do all the illegal deeds of lucre.

The IPS cops need to obey the orders of the rulers
Who are corrupt and unscrupulous in nature.
Or else they will be transferred often and denied
the chances of living with their families.
They obey the orders and usher in unwary workers
to lynch them or kill them in fake encounters.
They may escape from the jaws of laws in this world
but their children will be penalized for their flaws.
If the cops dared to seize the deep roots of smuggling
of star-turtles, gold, Marijuana, Red Sanders or Sandal wood,
the innocent men would not suffer in jails
and their womenfolk lose what they shouldn’t.
No corrupt ruler will punish himself or book the culprits.
Amend our constitution and assign powers to judges
to nab the criminals with central police force.
For the political leaders doing public service,
there’s no need of police force. When they serve with verve,
their power over cops swerves them from the right ways.

Select the judges by rigorous tests and means
and keep them under the control of the President’s office.
They shouldn’t beg the rulers in States for water,
shelter, power, transport or the post of governor.
All kinds of crimes in States will diminish soon
and the poor can’t be exploited by the criminals.