From Niyamgiri: Rise Aflame

We were born free

this is our land

this is our forest

this is our river

this is our mountain

and deep beneath the stone on the mountain-top

rages the timeless sacred fire of our dignity.

On to this

you cast your ‘development’ spell

to steal our freedom

and spell death

for our beliefs, values and culture.

Can you mine our God?

Can you defile our Nature?

We shall resist you

resist we shall

until we make you powerless.

The instruments you wield

shall come to naught

because you cannot steal our faith.

You shall never know what happened

but happen it shall.

From Niyamgiri shall rain flags of fire

which the waters of Vamshadhara shall carry aloft

into our hearts and we shall rise

aflame with blades of glistening sweat

to reap the harvest of our struggle.

We shall be free again

Again we shall be free.

August 3, 2009

New Delhi Suhas Borker

[Suhas Borker is an independent documentary filmmaker and convener of the Working Group on Alternative Strategies based in New Delhi. He can
be e-mailed at suhasborker@gmail.com]