Mr Sen

 Dear Mr Sen, here is what you forgot:

When a party of traders gives,

It expects. Thus, Bharat Ratna

Was bestowed on you by us

Not because we thought you

Were great shakes—who bigger

And better than Golwalker ever—

But so that you might hide

The better part of your wisdom

About Bharat and its travails,

And begin to speak from our side.

Clearly, that Nobel—a Western conspiracy—

Turned your Leftist head, and even

At Harvard—Subramaniam Swamy’s

Pride—you felt emboldened to speak

Freely instead, making Jagdish

Tear his hair with your so naked dare.

Mr Sen, you think democracy

Is all about freedom of speech

And such-like; well, you have

Another thing coming there:

Know that the right to do dirt,

 to equivocate, to abuse—

These were from sanaatan times

Reserved by Prajapati for

The exclusive use of the Parivar,

And nothing in your scholarship

May encourage you to stray far

From that shaaswat truth;

For your own good— since the

Election Tracker shows how we

Are set to storm to power come

Hustings—dear Mr Sen, learn

To forthwith refrain from your

Honest best thoughts, lest our

Government-to-come should

Tie you up in knots so stern

That, Faustus-like, in mad despair,

All your books you burn.

Badri Raina