Autophony

Cancun. 2003. Same old sunrise. Same old Negotiations. Déjà vu. The Colonials huddle in the backbenches. Former masters haggle over trade up front. The rich sign a deal. They sent it over to the poor. They look at it. Unfair. Too little. As always. Crumbs. No cream. They whisper. No more. Good deal, or no deal. Four of them Form a gang. A gang of brics. A new sun will rise. They will cringe no more. They send Twist to the big ones. “May we have more please?” (brics: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa; a group of five nations the US and EU consider most dangerous).

(A transcreation of Maithreem Bhajatha) I have come here to ask for an empire to ask for an alliance Of the hearts of the world. I have come here To ask: can I be you? To ask: Will you try and be me? I have come here To ask: ditch war! To ask: ditch rivalry! Don’t step on each other’s toes. We live in a big world She gives us all enough. We got a good God He likes us all the same. I have come here To ask: Be nice. To ask: Be calm. To ask: Be kind. I have come here to ask For Prosperity To bless us all together. The original:- Maithreem Bhajatha Maithreem Bhajatha Akila Hrijjaytreem Athmava Deva Paranapi Paschyata Yudham Thyajatha Spardhaam Thyajatha Thyajatha Pareshvakramam Aakramanam Janani Prithivi Kamadughasthe Janako Devaha Sakaladayaluhu Daamyatha Dattha Dayadhvam Janathaha Shreyo Bhooyath Sakala Jananam Lyrics by Chandrashekarendra Saraswathi. Sung by M. S. Subbulakshmi at and for the United Nations.

The city doesn't stop for anyone. He was young: agile and swift. Could cross the street. Dodge cars with ease. Not now. He is an old man now. Age, dignity, and a pension is all he has left. Wife is at home waiting. So they can sup and retire. He wants to cross the road. He wants to get home. The cars are in a hurry. They need to get somewhere too. Turnover, Growth curves, Bottomlines, Quarterly projections. There is business to be done. No time to stop for an old man. The city doesn't stop for anyone.

On the lawn stands a lapwing, In the sweet light of the moon. I saw it in the morning, It was still there at noon. The rain has shed his blesing In the happy time of June. Silent stands the lapwing, While a thousand crickets croon. When winter was freezing The bird was still around Now the rain is pouring Yet on his lawn he is found. Bright may flash the lightning, Fearful the thunder sound, Stubborn is the lapwing He won’t give up his ground. When the sun was scorching In the summer month of May Unfazed stood the lapwing The bird was there to stay. I have learnt this one thing Come twilight dark or day To emulate the lapwing, And persist in my way. This bird knows but one thing; The crow is very clever. Always experimenting, He flies hither-thither. But his skills are wanting, In the face of danger. Nothing beats a lapwing, In inclement weather. Among the crows a lapwing Hope forever to be!

Imagine a country where national interest is the only one. In which Manmohan Singh and Atal Vajpayee come together to lead the nation forward. In which Chidambaram and Jaitley are in the same cabinet, where Arun Shourie and Praful Patel work together. Where Sharad Pawar and Suresh Prabhu sort out the nation's worries, as men seized of a mission. Sigh, Imagine. Heck. If Ariel Sharon and Shimon Peres can do it, why not our leaders? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4485568.stm