Dear Mr Sen, here is what you forgot:
When a party of traders gives,
It expects. Thus, Bharat Ratna
Was bestowed on you by us
Not because we thought you
Were great shakes—who bigger
And better than Golwalker ever—
But so that you might hide
The better part of your wisdom
About Bharat and its travails,
And begin to speak from our side.
Clearly, that Nobel—a Western conspiracy—
Turned your Leftist head, and even
At Harvard—Subramaniam Swamy's
Pride—you felt emboldened to speak
Freely instead, making Jagdish
Tear his hair with your so naked dare.
Mr Sen, you think democracy
Is all about freedom of speech
And such-like; well, you have
Another thing coming there:
Know that the right to do dirt,
to equivocate, to abuse—
These were from sanaatan times
Reserved by Prajapati for
The exclusive use of the Parivar,
And nothing in your scholarship
May encourage you to stray far
From that shaaswat truth;
For your own good— since the
Election Tracker shows how we
Are set to storm to power come
Hustings—dear Mr Sen, learn
To forthwith refrain from your
Honest best thoughts, lest our
Government-to-come should
Tie you up in knots so stern
That, Faustus-like, in mad despair,
All your books you burn.
Badri Raina