Wall of Shame!
For decades stood there
in the village a wall
built with bricks of
shame and tears of dalits.
Keeping in exile senses
of mutual trust and honor
the upper caste built the
wall, parading airs of supremacy.
A long and huge wall-- it
wasn’t built by cement, but
by unjust and unruly
ethics-- hatred being the Mason.
Poor dalits, mute they
became seeing the wall in their way;
resigned timidly to their
cell of subservience … a bequest
they got from the
Varnas. “It’s another albatross on our neck”
muttered the Dalits
wrenching their hands in despair.
Happy they became when
down went the wall of shame.
For, in its debris they
saw no stones and bricks, but
the pride and arrogance
of a haughty caste.
To the ground gone the
village wall, but yet to go from
our minds is the sturdy
wall of casteism, which
we still keep for revenge.
[A sturdy wall that was built
across a village in South India which blocked the lower-castes to have access
to the main road was recently demolished.]
Image courtesy: Google
Thanks for your visit & comments. Have nice time.
ReplyDeleteWell written. It is very true that despite the progress the wall of casteism from our mind has not yet gone.
ReplyDeleteIt needs a lot of effort to shed this false and haughty cloak of casteism.
Indeed Wall of Shame , Sir !!
ReplyDeleteAt least the visible one was demolished .. the one inside few hearts needs proper education to be demolished , I feel.
They who differentiate in the name of caste and religion should be reminded some 65 years back we are equal, all of us !! We were slaves to the White Skin and if we continue to divide ourselves history will repeat itself !!
When one wall of shame is down, how many are still standing upright. OK at least one is down, we should take count of that. I have come across many people who think that caste discrimination is a thing of the past; that is an added slap on the face of those who still suffer in the name of it.Well written Eswar
ReplyDeleteVery true...Don't know when we will be truly rid of such prejudices from our heart.
ReplyDeletetime have changed and I hope soon there will be no wall of shame which differentiate man from man
ReplyDeleteWonderful content and well verse
ReplyDeleteAnd I wonder at its durability, this caste system!
ReplyDelete"A wall of shame" - a very apt name for a very shameful practice !
ReplyDeleteA very conscientious post making a scathing attack on the caste system tearing into the fabric of the country. The poor and the wretched people of the country have long been branded as untouchables and ostracized by the powerful and the rich belonging to so-called upper castes. I feel happy to have done my bit of protest against the bane of caste distinction by commenting on this lovely post by a nice human being and blogger.
ReplyDeleteThe need of the hour is to demolish such walls from the minds of the people. We keep taking about globalization and equality in every sphere, but you will notice very easily people making faces and shrugging shoulders at lower castes people. Its very shameful, because we all are Humans and we need to respect all.
ReplyDeleteThis is something I hate in our country. We divide people on so many grounds. The phrase, 'hatred was mason' is so profound.
ReplyDeletesuch kinda of activities makes it very difficult to build trust among different sectors of society and shows that discrimination is not yet over. I have alos written a post in this regard will be happy to have your comment on the same.
ReplyDeletenice read sir
ReplyDeleteI like the last line, so positive: better late than never!
ReplyDeleteHope no such walls come up in future!
Its really a shame. It is an alarming issue. Hope it never happens again.
ReplyDeleteHope every wall that divides the society and the people will be broken down....!
ReplyDeleteBhavya
http://ishithaa.com/
Even education has nt helped people to cross over this thought of casteism. Very aptly picked.
ReplyDeletesuch things exist even today!!
ReplyDeleteloved the line- they saw no stones and bricks, but the pride and arrogance of a haughty caste.
so symbolic!
This system is ridiculous! I am waiting for the day when this great wall will finally collapse.
ReplyDeleteLoved the concluding line...
Not only caste, any type of wall that's built between any relationship is the result of a poor thinking mind that needs to be rebuilt. Glad that the wall as at last brought down. There are many more to go.
ReplyDeleteVery good article.
ReplyDeleteMany races but that too not in harmony. We born free but men invented races for their benefit, We are the sons and daughters of Adam Eve .
We speak and write about unity and that unity is not coming from our heart , It is not advancement but vice versa (reverse)