HD Kumaraswamy reads out anti-CAA poem of an arrested poet
Opposing the Centre for its CAA and NRC bills, Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy read out an anti-CAA poem during the Karnataka Assembly on Wednesday. Kumaraswamy read out a poem written by journalist cum poet Siraj Bisaralli titled Ninna Dakhale Yaavaga Needuttee? After a public recital of the poem, Siraj was arrested on charges of breaching public peace and harmony.
Siraj Bisaralli, a poet and journalist was arrested under sections 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505(2) (Statements conducive to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code
Kumaraswamy came to the rescue of the poet asking what was wrong in the poem? He even referred to poet Nissar Ahmed’s poem, Kurigalu Saar Kurigalu for which the poet was not arrested though the poem clearly criticised politicians.
During the Assembly session, Kumaraswamy read out Siraj’s entire poem which has been translated into 13 languages.
A translation of the Kannada poem...
Amidst the queue for Aadhaar and ration,Monkeying about for thumbprints and servers,The people are losing their lives to documentsWhere are your documents, you who demands it?You (referring to ruling govt) who are rejecting those who sacrificed their lives happily for freedom,One who is tearing at the pages of history,When will you show your documents? You who is asking documents from Taj Mahal, Charminar,And the red stoned Qutub Minar, where are your documents?Licking the boots of the British,Drinking blood in the name of religious hatred,You who believes in Goebbels’ ideology,Where are your documents?Those selling pakodas,Those selling tea in my town,Have not lost their sense of humanity,They have not lost their self respect,They haven’t spun stories of lies,Tell me, when will you give your documents?
After the recital, Kumaraswamy criticised the arrest of Siraj, questioning what was wrong in the poem.
