Razoo Kashyap
Here, there are thousands and thousands
Who talk of women’s rights with great fuss,
Yet it’s men’s chains that bind —
To you, bangles are adornment in their mind.
I firmly oppress you every day,
While you hide behind empty words in dismay.
If you hold another man’s hand by chance,
Society brands you with a shameful glance.
Even if I violate you in plain sight,
They’ll still worship me as a model knight.
I kiss you against your will,
Touch your breasts with ruthless skill.
But you can’t protest, fearing society’s norms,
I continue my abuse, seeing you as a form to scorn.
Talking of women’s rights is never enough,
You must show it in actions, not just bluff.
Or else you’ll remain my slave forever,
Treated with disdain and care, never.
I flatter you, calling you a goddess in jest,
Yet you stay oppressed, counting the titles I invest.
I am puzzled why you don’t resist?
Though I have a wife, I reach for other women’s wrists…
Today, I feel like asking you, oh woman,
Why don’t you rebel against me, this inhuman?
-Sadiya, Assam, India
