He was not there when we unfurled the flag
Of independence.
He would not celebrate the day with
Hosannas
Because somewhere, someone was still not free.
His tryst with destiny
Was in a small room in Calcutta
Where he prayed for goodness,
For freedom from ego and bigotry,
For peace.
No fluttering flags please.
Today, as we celebrate the man who saw and yet did not see
our independence,
We find eight million citizens still in chains.
He is still not with us, will never be,
Symbols are not enough.
