Mahatma's Freedom

He Mahatma, tell us what you meant by freedom

You were the one who believed that all Indians are yours

At the time when the Indians everywhere were treated like slaves,

You had become the true witness to the atrocities and oppression

Not only on yourself but on everyone who was known as an Indian.

Your consciousness was ingrained in Truth, Non-violence and Sacrifice

And hence you had no fear whatsoever of experimenting with truth,

You took oath one day to fight against the outside oppressors

Not with weapons but with non-cooperation through non-violent means.

No doubt, you succeeded in liberating all Indians in India and elsewhere

And won independence for the Indian nation of both rich and poor,

But, the freedom you brought for everyone through non-violence

Did not last long as the nation ended up dividing itself in violence.

You had a great responsibility of educating all what freedom meant

So that the people could embrace equally both duties and responsibilities,

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But it was a great tragedy that you had to succumb to the assassination,

Which was an act of violence, which sent you finally to the eternal silence.

Now you must be staring at us from an outside world that may be far off

And wondering why your conviction to non-violence has no respect now,

The age-old divisions of many kinds have continued to haunt the society

Thereby perpetuating conflicts and violence with renewed strength.

Instead of setting their own house in order and establish peace and harmony

The people have harboured the feeling of separation for selfish motives,

Whereas you thought that all Indians were one and belonged to India

The people are fighting to decide who deserves to be identified as Indians.

Is this the independent India you wanted to get freed from outside rule

Where there has been a constant struggle despite marvelous growth?

The so-called oppression that existed before independence from outsiders

Has continued on women, children and downtrodden from our insiders.