This poem was first published at the author’s personal blog www.dimplehere.com.
Dedicated to the sceptics who don’t lose an opportunity to mock us for our supposed ‘cowardice’ and seem to believe that we want ‘them’ to fight for’ us. Don’t know how you would have fared under the circumstances, dear clueless fellow Indian with no inkling of ground realities – then or now!
High time you realised that our standalone, indomitable spirit has battled Seven Exoduses in the past and we are here – with our FAITH intact – under such pressures as you have NEVER known!
We Stand Tall with pride – spreading the message of peace, hard work, self-reliance – making the world a better place!
Even when
All around Us, souls soared higher
When
All around Us, people turned into mere names
When
All around Us, we had only death and departure
We moved on without you or anyone else.
Even when
We were groping in darkness and had to light our own lamp
When
We were bereft of the will to breathe and had to resuscitate our own-selves
When
We were petrified and had to fight our own fears
We traversed unchartered roads without you or anyone else.
Even when
We needed support and had to become our own strength
When
We longed for words of solace and had to calm our seething nerves
When
We yearned to outpour our woes and had to rein it all in
We emerged unscathed without you or anyone else.
So
Seven days, seven weeks, seven months, seven centuries, seven exoduses
Or an eon, We assure you, won’t kill us
For, you or anyone else, does not have
What it takes to kill Our unyielding spirit!
Kashmiri Hindus (Pandits) have faced seven exoduses from the valley since the 13th century till date. Each event of Exodus was preceded by mass slaughter, forcible conversion and inhuman atrocities on the Hindus and desecration and destruction of their places of worship. As a result, the valley turned from a near Hindu majority into a near Muslim majority region, in a span of 700 years.
Image Source: Internet
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