The Lost Indian.

THE LOST INDIAN

The country finds itself in a political vacuum
Of principled political leadership
The vacuum has been there for quite sometime
In philosophy, futorology and statesmanship.

Yesterday, her forefathers preached and practiced humanitarianism,
With the world as one home, a la Vasudeokutumbakam!
Today there is none to cruise her to national integration.
But many to rent her asunder into dis-integration.

A North Indian, a South Indian, an East Indian and a West Indian,
From the East and West of North and from the East and West of South,
A Central Indian and from the north and south and east and west of the Center.
The SC/ST/SBC/OBC/NT/VJNT/OPEN and the peripherals.

The Bhaiyyas, the Madrasis, the Bengalees, the Nepalese,
The Ghatees, the Konkanees, the Goans and the Malayalees,
The Kannadigas, the Vokkaligas, the Lingayats,
The Vaishnavites and the Shaivites, the Pulayans and the Parayans.

The Buddhists, the Jains, the Muslims, the Christians and the Hindus,
The Sindhis and the Hindees, the Uttarkhandees, the Jharkhandees
And the Bundelkhandees, the MP wallahs and the Delhi wallahs,
The Parsees, the Sikhs and the Jews
And more and more Indians to chew, brew and phew.

The Indian is lost amongst so many Indians,
Indians and Indians and many more Indians.
So much so that you may need to invite an Explorer,
A Christopher Columbus or a Vespucci
To the shores of our land to rediscover
The lost Indian amongst so many Indians.

Me thought that the local identities will dissolve
In the regional, that the regional will dissolve
In the national and in eternity, the national will dissolve
In the international to become global.

And my folks will evolve to embrace the philosophy
Of our forefathers and foremothers:
Vasudeokutumbakam; the world is our home,
Vasudeokutumbakam; the world is our tomb.

Alas, my folks are taking us to our doom,
And the Indian amongst Indians is in gloom,
When every day a new narrow identity is found
And expounded to expel others and pound.

Where a xenophile is confronted by a xenophobe
Where ethnocentrism is unashamedly celebrated
Within the narrow walls of carefully calibrated communities
Where the lost Indian is fallen by the wayside,
Agonized for having lost his ride and pride.



Date: 19th August, 2009 Krishnan Nandela