AZADI
When you reclaim your freedom,
and restore the country to its Constitution
when you are free to criticise your government
and no one dubs you anti-national,
Will you stand for my Azadi?
When you break the chains of fascism
and take charge of your holy house,
when you treat each other equal
and live like old friends coming together,
Will you stand for my Azadi?
When your schools are free to teach the truth
and children free to mingle no matter their costume,
When you don’t get killed for a piece of meat
and let live if an unworthy touches your feet,
Will you stand for my Azadi?
When you breathe free, roaming the streets
and no one robs you of your existence,
When no one asks you, to prove, you are you
and your ancestors are safe in their tombs,
Will you stand for my Azadi?
When your history is what is true
and no assassin is heeded as a martyr
When your courts don’t judge to appease
and no one is hanged to satisfy your conscience,
Will you stand for my Azadi?
When no one is tortured for their faith
and fake encounters are myths of yore
When women feel safe to be on their own
and no monster rips out the wombs anymore,
Will you stand for my Azadi?
I hope you don’t proclaim then,
you are better off with the nation
The idea of freedom is just an illusion
How dare you think of such mockery?
Will you still stand for my Azadi?
–by Kashmiri psychiatrist & poet Mudasir Firdosi, published in Caravan Daily