Maya Krishna Rao delivered a powerful performance during the "Not In My Name" protest at Jantar Mantar, Delhi on 28 June 2017. She wrote the script and brought it to light in less than two days, over 27 and 28 June.
Image Courtesy: Chandan Gomes
Not In My Name
In the name of a cow, my cow, you strike a knife through me
And In the name of Make in India you make me run,
snatch the food from my mouth,
chase me out of my home…..
snatch the food from my mouth,
chase me out of my home…..
One day, in the name of Jaimata you’ll drive,
Drive, drive a tank hard over me
Drive, drive a tank hard over me
Swachch bharat ke naam pe mera safaya kar loge?
Chasme pe likh doge, tho Gandhiji ko Samajhjaoge?
Paliya Swachchta, Swadeshi, Swaraj, Ram Rajya?
Tum kya jano Ram ka naam?
Tum kya jano Siyaram?
Tum kya jano,
No, you’ll never know
What Jesus died on the cross for
What the Prophet fled his home for
What Budhha’s 8-fold path was
That Ram’s other name
That we greet each other
Every morning….
Jai Siyaram Jai Siyaram
That simply writing on Gandhi’s spectacles
Gives you not sight, no vision
Blind Blind
Turning a blind eye is a far, far cry from turning the other cheek
Theek?
Izzat bachane ke nam pe
Bataoge mujhe kya pehnna hai?
Saath kiske rehna hai, Dua kisse mangna hai?
Gau raksha ke naam pe roti mere haath
se chheen loge?
Chuppi saadh ke muh modloge?
Aur nahi, mere naam pe nahi
Chchoona mat mere chasme, kehte hain Gandhi
Yes don’t you dare
Not in my name
But don’t you dare
In the name of Allah, Krishna, Buddha, Jehovah,
Kalburgi, Pehlu Khan, Dhabolkar, Mohd Akhlaq, Pansare….
Junaaaaaaid
One last kiss….
You hear? Can you hear?
How come not a sound escapes your, their lips
In the name of making your India
28 Sept.2015 – 3 days after Eid
Mohammad Akhlaq, a farm worker, asleep in a room next to his 22-year-old son, Danish
Mohammad Akhlaq, a farm worker, asleep in a room next to his 22-year-old son, Danish
2015
7 days after Gandhi’s birthday, Zahid Rasool Bhatt, petrol bombs thrown on his truck
2016
Jan. 14 On the very day of Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Bihu several passengers on a train attaked, Harda distt, MP
Feb. 20 Muslim cops trashed, forced to carry a saffron flag, chant Jai Bhawani
You’ll make me run, snatch the food from my mouth, chase me out of my home, kill my son on a train…
For him one last kiss
All he had in his bag were gifts
Not in my name
Mere nam pe nahi
Lelo chashme wapas,
you hear him?…. Gandhi
In the name of making your India you’ll make me run, snatch the food from my mouth, chase me out of my home, kill my son on a train, slit my brother’s neck in a truck…..
2016
6 days before Holi, 2 cattle traders hanged
2016
Apr 5, 10 days before Ram NavamiMustain Abbas shot dead
2016
7 days before Ind. Day two brothers in Andhra tied to a tree, thrashed for skinning a dead cow
2017
Apr 1, 13 days before Ambedkar Jayanti, Pehlu Khan
attacked, died, for illegally transporting buffalo
you…you…you
Don’t you dare take my name
Not in my name, never in my name
When all he did was save his cattle from
dying on the streets, make shoes, sell her,
feed his family, keep them from dying
in the streets.
When all he had in his bag were sweets,
gifts for his sister, brother, mother.
Will you wipe us all clean?
Bass
Bilkis
Where are you, Bilkis?
One last ….
In the name of making your India you’ll make me run, snatch my cattle, my food from my mouth, chase me out of my home, kill my son on a train, slit my brother’s neck in a truck,…..you…you…you
You can you hear?
Does a sound….
All in the name of a cow
My cow
Not your cow, my cow
For her I gave hard earned money,
Fed her, cared for her, milked her
And when she’s ready to go
You'll let her die on the street,
Let her bleed, let me bleed?
Not in my name
No no no, not in her name
Chashme pe likh lete ho to samjh lete ho
Nazar pa liya?
You turn a blind eye
I’ve turned my other cheek
Time after time
Theek?
So it's like this –
If I’m a student, whose brother wears a uniform and fights for his country you throw fake video tapes in my face and tell me, we’ll teach you who a patriot is
If I’m a woman you tell me wear what we tell you, walk when we tell you, marry who we tell you,
you asked for it so raped you will be
If I’m a farmer you tell me – jai kisan nahi, jai jawan
If I’m a child you tell me it doesn’t matter, you don’t need to know who your first prime minister was,
I’ll give you fresh spectacles, read what I tell you.
If I’m a nobody you’ll still get after me
Tell me what to eat, who to meet, when to play
Hey, I say –
You’ll never know my name
Yes, you’ll never know my name!
If I’m a cow you’ll let me die on the street,
Let me bleed, my master bleed
Feeeed, what do you feed on?
breeed, do you only breed…… hate?
Not in my name
Don’t you dare
Not in that child’s name
You’ll never know that child’s name
Mere naam mere naam pe nahi, kabhi nahi
Lelo Chashme wapas, hear him? Gandhi
You hear? Can you hear?
How come not a sound escapes their lips
For him one last kiss
Not in my name…bass
All he had in his bag were gifts
Sab ke saath, sab ka vikas
Bassss
So, so so I pray,
Oh god, may I be born next a goat,
not a cow, not human,
You won’t chase me, lynch me, teach me, bleed me
Make me, make India,
Apr. 21. 7 days after Ambedkar Jayanti, a family, a small girl elderly attacked, beaten in J&k
And it goes on….
June 22, 4 days before Eid, Junaid….
June 27, yesterday, Usman Ansari, Deori, ranchi, thrashed
For a dead cow found outside his housssssse
Basssss
Don’t you dare
Not in her name, not in mine
Not his, not hers
Don’t you dare
All he had in his bag were gifts
His, hers, yours, theirs
You kill in the name of country
Stand up, Stand up India
Look, there’s Saira
There’s Bilkis, there’s Dhabolkar, Usman Ansari,
Pehlu Khan, Pansare
Pehlu Khan, Pansare
Junaaaaaaid
Yes in his name, in hers, Bilkis
In his and hers, and ours
Get on a train, a truck, walk into the park,
Fill the streets
You hear….can you hear?
There’s a roar….. a shor
Today in my name
A last kiss
Bass
They shall not pass
(give many flying kisses….at the last one -)
Don’t you dare – you’ll never catch that kiss
© Maya Krishna Rao
