Ahmadi Muslims are achhuts
by B. R. GOWANI
“Wall of martyrs” shows Pakistani Ahmadis who were killed for practising their faith PHOTO/Asad Hashim/Al Jazeera
every ism, religion, caste, and creed
wants more people to feed its greed
the bigger the number means power more
and it always helps to fix some score
to enlist more, Islam is in the field
like others, it wants power to wield
but it doesn’t want Ahmadis with them
whereas they want to hold Islam’s hem
however, Ahmadis can’t openly profess
because bigot theologians won’t bless
non-Muslims they were pronounced, yes
in 1973 by Z. Bhutto and so this mess
Old Testament prophets are ok for Islam
Jesus Bhai ok, then it loses its calm
Muhammad is “seal of prophets,” the last
Mirza Ghulam came later, not being fast
Mirza G. Ahmad as prophet, Ahmadis see
unacceptable, Muslims want them to flee
lacking arms or too much political force
very few, they have accepted the course
B. R. Gowani can be reached at brgowani@hotmail.com
High castes and shudras
by B. R. GOWANI
(left) Kamlesh is a Dalit, and her scars are a constant reminder of the “punishment” she received for using a road reserved for “high-caste” people. Uma, a Dalit woman, cleans human excrement by hand from a latrine PHOTOS/BBC
we’re losing members, Hindu zealots cry
other religions are taking from our pie
they never think, are all Hindus the same
and for the castes where lies the blame
the Brahmin or priestly caste is on top
Kshatriya or warriors/kings caste is cop
then comes the Vaishya or merchant caste
the menial class or Shudra is the last
many sub-castes there are, don’t forget
who are always under some or other threat
Dalits, Untouchables, or Scheduled tribes,
their fate is the same bemoan the scribes
Harijans or God’s people Gandhi named them
low caste is still treated as dirt not gem
their sad fate is abuse, murder, and rape
“the largest democracy” is out of shape
water-wells are of castes low and high
in many villages under the Indian sky
all wells are available to the castes high
only their own wells to the low ones, why?
B. R. Gowani can be reached at brgowani@hotmail.com
(Both poems first appeared in Communalism Watch.)