The Dark Law
The nation broke apart—
a homeland turned foreign,
India’s own limbs cut into states.
Those who sat in cold rooms, reasoning,
were the ones who carried out these deeds.
Because of religious hypocrisy,
we now face certain death—
our very existence, our citizenship,
has been stripped away.
We will not accept
this dark law,
enforced since the year two thousand and three.
Foreigners became “natives,”
and natives were made exiles—
and still we do not understand
why we call ourselves citizens of this land.
How much more insult must we hear, sitting silent?
We watch, and are left astonished.
India won her freedom—
the foreigners left—
and yet once again, Indians became foreigners
in their own soil.
Did these new rulers come from another planet?
Don’t ask, O teacher of the nation!
This is Uttam’s humble plea:
Let everyone listen well—
for thousands of years you’ve oppressed us,
and no matter how many laws you pass,
the refugees will not accept them.
