Happy "Independence" Day

As the flag unfurls amidst

The birds in the sky,

Our Indian blood makes our

"Patriotism" run high.

We walk around with flags,

And shout greetings on the street,

Not noticing the blood that

Runs crimson at our feet.

When equality has become more

Of a slogan than a practice,

We pretend to be deaf to all

Inequality that surrounds us.

Happy Independence Day, India,

You're free from outer rule,

Now only crippled by the atrocity

That your people have fueled.

When you say a word enough,

It loses all meaning,

Independence, freedom, atrocity,

Sinning, equality, demeaning,

Now they're all just words,

Without the power they did hold,

So let's be the voice that

Has meaning to uphold.

Mafazah Sharafuddin is a Class X student at a private school in Mangaluru.