Crocodile Tears For Heritage Poem by Aniruddha Pathak

We've a cart-load of concern for his specs
When way little of his vision we share,
We seldom walk on his astute footsteps,
Feel fervent still for a pair of footwear.
His tokens on pedestal get moth-balled,
We care not to be punctual as he was,
Too keen on gestures and symbolic cause,
We garland his bust everywhere installed.

If we defile still his values so rife,
If we cherish not still his chequered life,
And then an alien hand of due merit
That might cherish values on which he led,
Let him his lost mementoes inherit,
Not those that only crocodile tears shed.
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There was a lot of hue and cry when a few items of Mahatma Gandhi's memorabilia were put on auction in a foreign country. We were perhaps riled by the fact that a foreigner was in possession of such items. But why did we lose them in the first place? What were we doing all this time? How do we maintain his heritage in our possession? Do we follow his teachings well? Do we care for the values dear to him? No, we seem to like to raise noise only on tokens and stray symbols.
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Happenings | 01.03.09 |