Translated from the Hindi by Adarsh Priyadarshi and Huma Namal
Bell (Ghanta)
Is your god deaf
that you have hung bells
big and small
of hundreds of kilograms
right at the beginning
of the steps
Or—
do you want
people to ring it
at the very first step
so that you
breaking free
from your pleasures and indulgences
can assume a meditative stance
so that nobody can see
your misdeeds
Tell—
what is the politics
behind this bell of yours?
Go Run Away!
I break rocks
I carry a hammer
in my hands
I carry a chisel
and a sledgehammer
I mould bricks
I have wet clay
on my hands
I handle unbaked and baked bricks
and coal
to immolate you
I make shoes
I carry skin in my hands
and a paddle and an awl
I shape grass I carry a sickle
I split wood
I carry an axe
I have always carried tools
needed to make a livelihood
Now before all my tools
turn into my weapons
in revolt
against you—
Go run away!
Deception (Dhakosla)
You said
that bathing in the holy Ganga
the mere sighting of the revered Narmada
washes away all sins.
Under this pretext
you sinned repeatedly
always hiding behind this
you kept attacking us.
Now we can see
all these shields of your misdeeds.
Tell us—
on the banks of these rivers
why do the frogs croak
why do water-snakes swim in them
why do turtles live a long life
why don’t the fish attain moksha!
Or—all these
are just empty talk
of your
so-called scriptural knowledge
Just like you—
your talk too is deception.
I Will Throw You Off
You!
are latched
onto my back
like a baital.
Very soon—
you!
I will throw you off.
Note: Baital is a spirit in Hindu mythology, said to be a knowledgeable (fortune telling) paranormal entity, dwelling in cremation grounds, who latches on to the backs of living bodies. The entity is popular through the stories of Vikram-Baital or Baital-Pachchisi.
The Respected Caste
I do not fear my future
I know labouring
I will earn enough to fill my stomach
I do not wish
to know my future
You worry for yourself—
What will you do?
Will you beg?
Who will throw their own costly grains your way?
That is why I advise you—
pack your bag of scriptures.
Quit fooling.
Work!
Pick up the sickle
let’s cut some grass
we will sell it at the market
pick up the tool
herd the oxen
plough the field
we will grow crops
and earn some money off of it
and then some day
when you shed
your respected caste–
then together we will melt leather
and make shoes.
Asang Ghosh is a representative Dalit voice in contemporary Hindi poetry. From a young child helping his father mend shoes as a family vocation, Asang Ghosh went on to complete his PhD. He eventually became a civil servant in Madhya Pradesh government and is presently working with All India Administrative Services. He has authored 8 books of poetry and has short stories published in multiple Hindi journals. Besides numerous Indian cities, he has also been invited to Sri Lanka, China, Egypt, and Bali to recite his poetry. He has won numerous awards, which include Madhya Pradesh Dalit Sahitya Akademi Award (2002), Srijangatha Samman (2013), Guru Ghasidas Samman (2016), and Bhawani Das Singh Award (2017).
Adarsh Priyadarshi is a Philosophy research scholar. He is a student activist and a student of Marxist movements.
Huma Namal is a Philosophy research scholar. She enjoys reading literature, taking long walks and crocheting.