Indian Culture, The Long-Standing Tradition Of It Poem by Bijay Kant Dubey

Indian culture, the trend and tradition of it,
I myself cannot,
What it is like,
How old is it,
Its historicity,
Long-standing trend and tradition,
What to say about
Its myth and mysticism,
A land so varied and differing,
India is not India,
But a sub-continent?

Indian culture, not of the Hindi belt
Speaking Hindustani,
Indian things
The Tibetans, the Chinese, the Japanese,
The Cambodians and the Balinese
Saying,
India's relations
With Mongolia, Tibet,
How to describe it,
How to explore?

India not of the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas,
The schools of philosophy,
In rituals,
India of the Naga sadhus too
Known for austerity,
The Jains and Jainism, Buddha and Buddhism
And the Buddhists,
India found in the lamas and the zens,
India of sadhus and sadhakas.

India a bundle of contradictions and contraries,
India India not,
India mythical and mystical,
Reality clawing at,
Cutting the base of it,
India requiring reforms,
Oracles and benedictions
Foreboding evils,
Superstitions and omens,
India India.