Farhan Akhtar What is this country that I live in?

Farhan Akhtar

What is this country that I live in?

    Disturbed over the recent brutal gangrape of a young woman in Delhi and the way women are being treated in our country, filmmaker Farhan Akhtar expresses his angst and anguish in this heart-wrenchingly moving poem. He stirs our collective conscience with hard-hitting questions.
What is this country that I live in? With no equality And the quality of life Differs from husband to wife Boy to girl, brother to sister Hey Mister, are you the same? Contributing to the national shame Replacing your mothers With the bent ideology of another's perception that women have a particular role in society Fills my heart with anxiety Where is all of this going? What will emerge from these seeds that we're sowing? It makes my head spin But I'm not giving in Will keep asking the question What is this country that I live in? What is this country that I live in? That takes away her right to love Brutalises her with an iron glove Rapes her without fear of there being justice for her tear We've demeaned our goddesses Gone back on all our promises Become a gender distorted nation Given our conscience a permanent vacation what do I tell my daughter? That she’s growing up to be lamb for the slaughter we’ve got to make a change Reboot, reformat, rearrange, and never give in no matter how much your head may spin Just keep asking the question What is this country that I live in?

Farhan Akhtar