Whose Bapu ?

There was a time

When you were our Bapu,

A Mahatma ;

For a life-time long

A tortured Atma ;

To wash away the sins of your children

You died a martyr's death ;

Now those very children

Have opened-up a shop

To sell " Gandhi-ism " ;

They are even maintaining

Two separate books of accounts,

One for income from " Unknown Sources ",

Strictly as required by the law !

Even out of curiosity

Do not venture

Anywhere near ;

No one will recognize you

Without your NSG / Z+ bodyguards  !

And children from city slums

Will chase you , shouting ,

" Ben Kingsley , Ben Kingsley ",

And when they ask you for your autograph ,

Do not sign,

" Mo Ka Gandhi "  !

Just pretend that you are Ben Kingsley,

TV cameras , Reporters , Anchors

Will  follow in your footsteps ;

Just forget that

You were our Bapu  !

-----------------------------------------------------------

Free translation from my Gujarati poem , dated 30, Jan 1984

-----------------------------------------------------------

*    hemen  parekh   (  13   Nov   2013  )