Wasteland
Chandrika Chechi of the Wasteland
talks
about the homes one enters
only through the back door.
of the flats
where one enters
through the front door —
the ones with the porch light on.
returning daily from the marketplace
both the fish and she share
the same path —
the one through the back door.
entering through the very same route,
while hearing the television
blare the pledge aloud on August 15 —
all Indians are my brothers and sisters.
—Translated from Malayalam by Tijo Thomas
Vijila Chirappad, Kerala
(Vijila Chirappad is a Dalit poet from Kerala. Her works talk about caste and gender issues. She has published two collections of poetry, Adukkalayillatha Veedu [Kitchenless Home] and Amma Oru Kalppanika Kavithayalla [Mother is Not a Romantic Poem]. Three of her poems have been selected for an anthology of Dalit by Oxford University Press.)
I have seen the pain and suffering
That I longed for each and every foodgrain
With whom should share my sorrows?
I haven’t found a good friend yet
My beloved mother had said child, grow up,
You have to become the arms of your father
You will bear the home on your shoulders
So stand up on your feet
And I was drunk in youthfulness away from such motherly advice
And friend, I never knew in which direction my life will take me
And friends, it has been years since I had bread baked by mother,
I never thought my life would be spent without seeing home again
O people, we strangers have seen much oppression,
For building a house, we left our country
And friend Aamir, what sorrow keeps you away from sleep?
I’ve seen many people go from rags to riches
—Translated from Gojri
Aamir Chauhan, Jammu & Kashmir
(Aamir Chouhan is a Gojri poet and hip-hop artist hailing from Mendhar, Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir. He released his debut single in 2017—a Gojri rap piece, making him the pioneer in this genre. His songs focus on social issues and tribal community-related challenges.)
