Desh Kya Hai?

देश क्या है?
कागज़ के टुकड़ो पर खिंची हुयी लकीरें ,
या उनकी चौकसी करते कुछ नौज़वान ?
तेरे -मेरे अधिकारों और जिम्मेदारियों की एक क़िताब ,
या उन अधिकारों और ज़िम्मेदारियों का आधार ?
क्या है ये चंद गिने-चुने लोगों की मिल्कियत,
या गणतंत्र के हर गण की है एक आवाज़?
देश क्या है? देश है क्या?

सिनेमाघरों में जन-गण-मन सुन,
खड़े हो जाना है ये देश?
या हर इक जन गण मन को
समझ पाना है ये देश?
तेरे-मेरे होने की वजह है ये देश?
या तेरे-मेरे होने की वजह से है ये देश?
देश है क्या? देश क्या है?

मेरे बिस्तर को सड़क पर उछाल
तमाशा करते लोग?
या मेरी मोहब्बत को अपराध
करार देता ये कानून?
मेरे होने को झुठलाता हुआ
मेरा परिवार, ये समाज़?
या आज तेरे-मेरे बीच
मेरे होने की हुंकार लगाता... मैं?
देश है क्या? देश क्या है?

// Roman script, Hindi

Desh Kya hai?
Kaagaj ke tukado par khinchi huyi lakirein,

Ya unki chaukasi karte kuchh naujawaan?

Tere-mere adhikaro aur zimmedariyon ki ek kitaab,

Ya un adhikaro aur zimmedariyon ka aadhar?

Kya hai ye kuchh gine-chune logo ki ek milkiyat,

Ya gantantra ke har gan kihai ek aawaaz?

Desh kya hai? Desh hai kya?

Cinema-gharo me jan-gan-man sun

Khade ho jaana hai ye desh?

Ya har ek jan gan man ko

samajh paana hai ye desh?

Tere mere hone ki wajah hai ye desh?

Ya tere mere hone ki wajah se hai ye desh?

Desh hai kya? Desh kya hai?

Mere bistar ko sadak par uchhaal

Tamasha karte huye log?

Ya meri mohabbat ko aparadh

karaar deta ye kanoon?

Mere hone ko jhoothalata huya

Mera pariwaar, ye samaj?

Ya aaj tere-mere beech

Mere hone ki hunkaar lagata… main?

Desh hai kya? Desh kya hai?

// English translation

What is country?

a few lines drawn on a sheet of paper,

or those soldiers gaurding those lines?

a book of rights and responsibilities for you and I,

or a foundation for those rights and responsibilities?

Is it a fiefdom of some selected people,

Or is it a voice for each in the republic?

What is country?

Does country mean to stand up every time

we listen to the Jan-gan-man (national anthem) in movie theatres?

or is to understand each citizen

in this country?

Is it a reason for you and I to be?

Or does it exist because you and I do?

What is country?

Is it the folks who are have made

my privacy a farce?

or is it the constitution

which has criminalised my love?

is it the society and the family

which is anxious to un-accept who I am?

Or… is it me.. the one to establish

to be whoever I am in this word?

What is country?

 P.S.: A part of this poem was written to introduce The Republic Day Poetry Project for my students. While engaging with this theme, we realized how the idea of republic needs to be explored and understood better to fully realize our individual and collective potential. Often, I have found myself struggling to understand my political, social and personal spaces of freedom and this poem is a response to that struggle.