MUMBAI: Just as the rest of the nation is still reeling from shock and outrage over the horrific Delhi gang rape case that rocked the country’s collective consciousness on 17 December, Bollywood too has expressed grief and a crippling sense of shock that such atrocities can occur in the Capital city.
Farhan Akhtar, Bollywood actor-director-producer-singer and son of legendary poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar, was rightly shocked and anguished upon hearing news of the brutal Delhi gang rape of a 23-year old student.
Farhan immediately took to poetry, to express his deep hurt, anguish and a sense of helplessness at the horrifying situation, and state of affairs in our country. In this poem below, Akhtar stirs our collective consciousness, and poses some hard-hitting questions about our attitudes and belief systems…
What is this country that I live in?
With no equality
And the quality of life
Differs from husband to wife
Boy to girl, brother to sister
Hey Mister, are you the same?
Contributing to the national shame
Replacing your mothers
With the bent ideology of another’s perception that women have a particular role in society
Fills my heart with anxiety
Where is all of this going?
What will emerge from these seeds that we’re sowing?
It makes my head spin
But I’m not giving in
Will keep asking the question
What is this country that I live in? What is this country that I live in?
That takes away her right to love
Brutalizes her with an iron glove
Rapes her without fear of there being justice for her tear
We’ve demeaned our goddesses
Gone back on all our promises
Become a gender distorted nation
Given our conscience a permanent vacation what do I tell my daughter?
That she’s growing up to be lamb for the slaughter we’ve got to make a change
Reboot, reformat, rearrange, and never give in no matter how much your head may spin
Just keep asking the question
What is this country that I live in?
