The pandemic, any pandemic, carries with it a sense of helplessness – because it carries a disease that our race can’t quite comprehend at the moment. Historically speaking, it takes decades for humans to find their footing again – and I won’t rule that possibility this time as well.

However, the nature of the virus and its nature isn’t the only thing we are unable to understand right now. It’s also people’s attitude towards it. It’s also the state’s attitude towards it. 

On any given day, the action of gathering masses during a pandemic that spreads like a wildfire would be called callous, but when you have the Prime Minister of the country doing so, it leads to another kind of dejection.

The same is communicated here by actor Nakuul Mehta, through a poem titled Marghat Ka Shehenshah which translates to Ruler of the Mortuary, written by Ajay Singh.

Almost a minute-long, the poem talks about the political rallies happening under the PM’s watch, with he words:

Tum patthar ki kabrein banana band karo, woh manch samajhkar chadh jaayega. Phir shuru kar dega bhaashan, ye sochkar ki koi na koi murda toh zaroor sunne aayega.

And then, Nakuul says this line on the shortage of oxygen cylinders in the country:

Jisne raat din bas zeher ghola ho hawa mein, kyun ummeed karte ho tumhare liye oxygen laayega?

While ending the poem with the hard-hitting line:

Zindon ki toh kya hi kaho doston, woh bohot jald murdon se bhi vote dalwaayega.

The poem has been garnering a lot of responses online, here are some of them. 

Nakuul had earlier made waves with his terrific recital of the poem Too Much Democracy, also written by Ajay Singh. You can watch it here.

Also Read: Amir Khusro Poetry