Last Night, I tried looking for a collection of poems, "The Otherness of Self", mom gifted me on my 19th Birthday. I vaguley remember a particular line from the entire collection, " Imagine being caught in a sky".I remember this line, because it mirrored my state of mind, at that time, and perhaps, also at this point of time.
When I first read it, I wondered how could a young poet, write so well, so profoundly. This line was written by an 21 year old man. His name is Feroze Varun Gandhi.
Three days ago, when I first heard Varun's controversial speech in Pilibhit, I couldn't believe that the words were his. The words that riddled through our fragile secular matrix. Words that could excite masses and create communal tension. Varun Gandhi, 29 now, remains unapologetic about parts of his speech while claiming that the portions inciting communal hatred are doctored.
What I saw, in the speech was also a great deal of , I-AM THE SAVIOUR" tone. The messish who is here to wash away all the problems of Hindus in Pilibhit. The Kasth Vinayank Varun Gandhi.
Ironically, Varun supposedly perforated, Gandhian philosophy of Non Voilence. He was shown saying, " If somebody slaps you on one cheek, don't place your other cheek in front of the person. rather cut off that person's arms, so that he/she can never hit you or some one else again". Strangely, Varun has a Gandhi to his name.
Varun remains unapologetic about his stance. He has spoken of horrid tales that Hindus in Pilibhit are going through-- the slaughtr of cows on one side and the smuggling of arms on the other. I wonder if Maneka ( or Varun) raised these issues in Parliament or other forums, since she happens to be Pilibhit's sitting MP.
Varun's reply to the accusations, that he is a proud Hindu appear a little fudgy, since his Grand Father was Feroze Gandhi was a Parsi. His mother, Maneka Gandhi is a Sikh. But then, he is a poet, he knows his words well and that's the reason why, Varun has chosen to go on offensive, hoping that words, that combition of letters, he crafts so well, wouldn't fail him.
But in all of this, have we lost out on a young poetic mind of good calibre? Has the Poltiician dwarfed the Poet for good? I understand, his level of frustration. Nehru Gandhi legacy is not for him, but for his cousins. I can imagine, the pain, Maneka would have gone through when her name was black listed from Nehru gandhi dynasty for good. But does it all justify the death of a poet. The man who welcomed his 20s with images, colours and words. The man who bids farewell to his 20s with words of hatred, images of trishuls and a mind coloured in saffron.
I am still looking for "The Otherness of Self".
When I first read it, I wondered how could a young poet, write so well, so profoundly. This line was written by an 21 year old man. His name is Feroze Varun Gandhi.
Three days ago, when I first heard Varun's controversial speech in Pilibhit, I couldn't believe that the words were his. The words that riddled through our fragile secular matrix. Words that could excite masses and create communal tension. Varun Gandhi, 29 now, remains unapologetic about parts of his speech while claiming that the portions inciting communal hatred are doctored.
What I saw, in the speech was also a great deal of , I-AM THE SAVIOUR" tone. The messish who is here to wash away all the problems of Hindus in Pilibhit. The Kasth Vinayank Varun Gandhi.
Ironically, Varun supposedly perforated, Gandhian philosophy of Non Voilence. He was shown saying, " If somebody slaps you on one cheek, don't place your other cheek in front of the person. rather cut off that person's arms, so that he/she can never hit you or some one else again". Strangely, Varun has a Gandhi to his name.
Varun remains unapologetic about his stance. He has spoken of horrid tales that Hindus in Pilibhit are going through-- the slaughtr of cows on one side and the smuggling of arms on the other. I wonder if Maneka ( or Varun) raised these issues in Parliament or other forums, since she happens to be Pilibhit's sitting MP.
Varun's reply to the accusations, that he is a proud Hindu appear a little fudgy, since his Grand Father was Feroze Gandhi was a Parsi. His mother, Maneka Gandhi is a Sikh. But then, he is a poet, he knows his words well and that's the reason why, Varun has chosen to go on offensive, hoping that words, that combition of letters, he crafts so well, wouldn't fail him.
But in all of this, have we lost out on a young poetic mind of good calibre? Has the Poltiician dwarfed the Poet for good? I understand, his level of frustration. Nehru Gandhi legacy is not for him, but for his cousins. I can imagine, the pain, Maneka would have gone through when her name was black listed from Nehru gandhi dynasty for good. But does it all justify the death of a poet. The man who welcomed his 20s with images, colours and words. The man who bids farewell to his 20s with words of hatred, images of trishuls and a mind coloured in saffron.
I am still looking for "The Otherness of Self".
