Monday, August 24, 2009

From Niyamgiri: Rise Aflame

Wednesday 19 August 2009, by Suhas Borker in Mainstream, Delhi

We were born free
this is our land
this is our forest
this is our river
this is our mountain
and deep beneath the stone on the mountain-top
rages the timeless sacred fire of our dignity.


On to this
you cast your ‘development’ spell
to steal our freedom
and spell death
for our beliefs, values and culture.


Can you mine our God?
Can you defile our Nature?
We shall resist you
resist we shall
until we make you powerless.
The instruments you wield
shall come to naught
because you cannot steal our faith.


You shall never know what happened
but happen it shall.


From Niyamgiri shall rain flags of fire
which the waters of Vamshadhara shall carry aloft
into our hearts and we shall rise
aflame with blades of glistening sweat
to reap the harvest of our struggle.


We shall be free again
Again we shall be free.


August 3, 2009
New Delhi Suhas Borker

[Suhas Borker is an independent documentary filmmaker and convener of the Working Group on Alternative Strategies based in New Delhi. He can be e-mailed at suhasborker@gmail.com]

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