Sunday, July 22, 2018

Periyar



Closed hearts and troubled minds stirred,
suffering humiliation in silence. There came by,
a laid back and common man with nothing special.
Great was he neither by academic merits,
Great was he not by amassing riches, Yet
Revolutions many he made with a sharp mind.

When the world lay asleep, in
Dreams of high and low births,
Great was he who refused to bow down,
Great was he who refused to raise above others,
Shattering caste hierarchies, he declared
the dawn of social equality and justice.

 When streets lay divided, closed to
outcasts and untouchables,
Great was he who knocked down walls,
Great was he who denied lofty Gods,
Questioning stories wrapped in inhuman horror,
Athiesm, he preached, was the new social honour.

When the world made matches among children,
men drinking in stupor watching women suffer.
Great was he who stepped in recklessly,
Great was he who aroused women and children ,
Saving innocent lives, breaking down toddy shops,
Marched ahead with self respect to restore order.

When in the name of Religion and God,
Damsels in temples were wedded to art,
Great was he who ridiculed religions,
Great was he who questioned the Gods,
Proclaiming all women free, gifting them
education and work to rise with dignity.

When the world used shackles of sentiments,
thinking high of emotional arguments,
Great was he who spoke of common sense,
Great was he who taught rational defense,
Raising above mythical beliefs, ending
social discrimination and injustice.

Golden hues hiding slavery symbols,
Musical hymns singing social injustices,
Weddings feasting over the end of self respect.
Declaring the dawn of dignity in every man,
Sensibility ruling the roost, Rationality flooding the world,
Marched forward did he, making new reservations.

Rest not till every rule is crushed,
Sleep not till every soul is freed,
No God dare call you inferior,
Deny any God who brands you superior,
Fear not, O clear mind! Light the flames of
Rational thinking to stop yourself sinking.

Political and social thoughts many abide,
Actions and words unique to this land,
spring forth from the spark he ignited.
His thoughts live on, tangled deep within
among children, men and women akin.
Proud are we to call him our leader,
The one and only eternal leader.