The India of My Dreams

  •   Thu, Sep 08 2011
  •   Anita Britto, Auckland

September 10, 2011

The India of My Dreams

In the land where the Ganges flows

Meandering through a mighty course

Over hills and plains among worshipping folk

Who in her sacred waters soak  
 

A multitude in prayer I see

Right from her source in Gangotri

I pause and stop to take a glance

While mesmerized and in a trance   
 

And soon I'm lost in reverie

Which takes me back in history

To sixty years ago and four

When we had dreams and hopes galore    
 

In a nation that was great and wide

Where many sacrificed and died

Some struggled hard to set us free

To make our "tryst with destiny"    
 

As Nehru had proclaimed that night

When through the darkness we saw light

Our pledge once more we did renew

In an ancient nation, yet so new   
 

We promised that we would succeed

And show the world that we could lead

Though challenges we had in store

Our forefathers had borne much more    
 
 
And at that moment etched in time

With heartfelt feelings so sublime

We said we'd put an end to crime

Disease and poverty in time   
 

But time has passed and we have failed

With doubts and fears, I am assailed

We still have hungry mouths to feed

Who are in want of basic need

  

With a heritage as rich as ours

And dreams that we might reach the stars

I shrug my shoulders with dismay

"Paradise Lost" I'm forced to say


For in this land that's so unique

Some thrive by silencing the meek

They loot the poor with all their tricks

A cesspool known as Politics

 

They promise you the sun and moon

With idle talk they make you swoon

They need your votes to win their seat

Until they win they'll touch your feet   
 

They cheat and bribe to make their dough

And have no qualms to stoop real low

Entrenched into just every scene

I smell corruption in their spleen 

 

Moral fibre's what they lack

And black money they love to stack

They have the same old reputation

When it comes to tax evasion  
 
 

This thick-skinned bureaucratic crowd

Would have done Machiavelli proud

And though expletives come to mind

A ray of hope I sometimes find 
 

For among the 1000 Million souls

Some haven't lost sight of all our goals

'Hazaaro"  mein you do find one

Like "Anna" who our hearts has won
 

He's struck a chord within us all

I'm sure we'll rise and hear his call

And I believe that we will win

"Hum Honge Kamyaab ek din"

 

Anita Britto Archives:
Anita Britto, Auckland
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Comment on this article

  • Neil & Preethie, Mangalore/Hackensack, NJ

    Sat, Sep 17 2011

    Wonderful!! Very well written Anita - nice choice of words and elegant flow. The "Anna" movement has hopefully shaken up the politicians. Am not sure they will mend their ways easily but at least they will be less brazen in their greedy pursuits.

  • dolfred pereira, NaviMumbai

    Thu, Sep 15 2011

    Nicely written ,would love to publish in our WIthout Reserve Issue ( need yr Permission ) or not, in my church bulletin-

  • Peter and Edith Rego, Mangalore/NZ

    Tue, Sep 13 2011

    Very nice Keep it up.You do a great job.

  • Nita Pinto, Kulshekar/Auckland

    Tue, Sep 13 2011

    Great poem Anita!

    A right choice of words to explain the current situation and a ray of hope all but not lost.

    Keep it up!

    Nita Pinto

  • Irwin, Auckland

    Tue, Sep 13 2011

    Absolutely fantastic - well thought and spelled out.

  • Jyoti Raj, Auckland

    Mon, Sep 12 2011

    Hi Anita,
    Another splendid gem from you. It brought tears to my eyes...at the sordid state of affairs of our beautiful country...but as you say one day sometime we will rise above the ashes of this shameful corruption. Continue writing...you are amazing. Love Jyoti

  • Mervin Menezes, Mangalore/Kuwait

    Mon, Sep 12 2011

    Dear Anita,
    Very nice and beautifully narrated. Keep it going.
    Mervin Menezes

  • Hemendra, Mumbai/India

    Mon, Sep 12 2011

    Dear Anita
    The poet in you has re-born. Indeed a splendid poem, well written and very well articulated. Your patriotism is profound and speaks well of you and your love for your motherland. Thanks and kudos for bringing in the topics of corruption, which unites all Indians. Keep it up and do keep on penning beautiful lines. Will love to read more.
    Anti Corruption Movement. Zindabad.

  • Nitin Dalvi, Mumbai

    Mon, Sep 12 2011

    Hi Anita !
    Wonderful , as usual. No more mords to describe. Keep it up and looking forward to read more of your poems.

  • Edward Barboza, Kanajar/Auckland

    Sun, Sep 11 2011

    Hi Anita,
    Very nice and interesting poem reflecting the recent happenings in India. This is a great talent and good to see you keeping it alive.

  • Jagadeesh C Ail, Mumbai

    Sun, Sep 11 2011

    Hope people of our nation will stand up to the cause by staying united against the ill doings of our political leaders forgetting their temporary differences

  • Tony, Mangalore/Sydney

    Sun, Sep 11 2011

    Nice Poem Anita, beautifully created and narrated - especially I liked the patriotism expressed, the natural setting and creation of the largest democratic nation, India, it`s aspirations and hopes, it`s achievements and successes, and quite a few failures and short comings as well, viz. the tax evasion, corruption and the bureaucracy, etc - you have covered it all. Yes, as you have rightly put, there is a silver lining in Anna Hazare who has almost single handedly demonstrated and highlighted recently with his continuous fasts and protests, the precarious corruption situation in the country, and I am sure the concerned bureaucrats and politicians have taken note his noble movement and some positive results will come out soon.

  • Prashant Menezes, Dubai

    Sun, Sep 11 2011

    Wonderful poem, read it during office hours but it took me back to india and the harsh reality of life there... we always say hum honge kaamyab but none of us know when...every new nation is running ahead of us but we are still the same ...its our politicians to blame they arent doing any good for the country so dont expect 1 anna or 4 anna do anything to change India ..its dificult n now the stage is nearing when its gonna b impossible...Once corruption seeps into our system its hard to remove it...belive me !!!

  • geoffrey, hathill

    Sun, Sep 11 2011

    ‘What you can’t cure hv to endure’ the saying goes.
    Not necessarily so, if you know the ropes.
    If the land of Ganges gets too hot for ur 5 star dreamz,
    Switch your abode to Canada, US, Europe, Oz or NZ.

  • freeda.lobo, Bangalore

    Sun, Sep 11 2011

    Fantastic Anita ! You have done it yet again ,another masterpiece!Well worded and well coined poem.You have projected the true image of our corrupt politicians in a nutshell.And as you have rightly put , only an anna can give us some hope and bring about a change to this corrupt nation!
    Congrats to you again Anita ! you are too good and we are indeed very proud of you !!!!

  • Naveen Menezes, Gurpur/Manglore

    Mon, Sep 12 2011

    Pointing out the present political scenario, the poem has been beautifuly designed (the usage of words, tone, flow) with pros and cons of Great India. I love this poem. Wow!

  • mel,Jul & Ash, Bajpe,NZ

    Sat, Sep 10 2011

    Great words, well written

  • Naveen, Bangalore

    Sat, Sep 10 2011

    Hi Anita,
    Well done - perfect - makes full sense - I wish beauracrats / politicians take some information from this poem and start implementing / pay heed to what is written. Definitely not this generation. Anyway good job - keep up the good work, fantastic, every sentence makes sense / everything is the truth and nothing but the truth, love to read articles like this but I wish somewhere you could have written or squeezed in Mera Bharat Mahan - sorry I am a little bit patriotic (I am not telling you are not) hopefully in your next poem.

  • Joe Britto, Nakre/Bangalore

    Sat, Sep 10 2011

    Amazing Poem Anita !
    You have chosen the right words indeed which indicates the present plight of our country seeped in corruption and highlighted the shinny star Anna Hazare !


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