Moses, codifying commandments ten,
Used eight ‘shalls’ too many, no single ‘can’,
Sarkari babus still— on service rules—
Created cobwebs at the speed of mules:
In a schedule containing twelve odd rules,
Flagged thirty three ‘shalls’, these shell-shocked fools.
To Moses, shall was sacred will of God,
Nigh but writ on stone to stand all alone;
In Service Rules if one should find it odd,
I’d feel: too far has bureaucracy gone.
When rules freely flow as if on water,
To be stilled at will like Indian daughter,
Rules get forged and fashioned a flexi clause:
‘But P.M. may…condone’. He oft has cause!
I feel glad there was no civil servant
To help Manu1, nor Moses, and thank God,
Else, all his laws would have died redundant,
Yet, many still seem fresh like peas in pod.
But babus seem stuck like order of day
Till someone would revise the service rules—
Inserting a command in all schedules:
‘And henceforth all babudom banned shall stay.’
Who’d still collar the cat? Not one from cats;
Nor one that fields, nor bawls, nor one that bats!
Till then we shall condemned be, ruled by rules,
And suffer fools, till we send them to schools.
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1. Manu was the ancient law giver in the Indic mythology.
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- Satire | 01.08.10 |
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
But babus seem stuck like order of day Till someone would revise the service rules— Inserting a command in all schedules: ‘And henceforth all babudom banned shall stay.’ thank u for your critical thinking. loved ur poem very much, . tony
Thank you for your lovely comments for a poem of 2010. And Dr Tony I noticed your long absence. Your critical comments are always welcome.