Patriotism

You do often claim the wins
Of the boys in blue
Do you own — as quickly —
Their losses too?
You indeed gloat about
The growth of the GDP
But do you see too
There’s hunger, there’s poverty?
You cannot beat your chest
About Chandrayaan
And continue to disown
That corner-stain of paan
You must, as you salute
The selfless, brave jawaan
Acknowledge the raped women
They lived in Assam
Of course there’s much cheer
In the merit and the gold
But in that not forget it lives
Privilege — cruel, raw, cold
You must be proud of your country
Much to celebrate
But much to see and try and grapple with
If we truly care about the “great”