This one is for Teesta
by Salil Tripathi
This one is for Teesta – and other stubborn souls trying to keep India the way it was meant to be:
First they went after Sanjiv Bhatt But I said nothing because I wasn’t a cop. Then the witnesses in Asaram’s case started dropping dead But I said nothing because I wasn’t a fan of any guru-buru. Then the witnesses of Vyapam case started falling one by one And I said nothing because I didn’t live in Madhya Pradesh. Then they released Maya Kodnani on bail And I said nothing because that woman did no harm to me. Then they tried withdrawing cases against Hindus accused of bomb blasts, And I said nothing because Hindus are non-violent, so why should they be prosecuted? Then they banned beef in the state, And I said nothing because red meat is bad for health anyway. Then they started shouting “ghar wapsi,” And I thought they are cheering the Prime Minister on his occasional visits back home to India. Then they froze the accounts of Greenpeace But I thought that shouldn’t matter, after all India has to develop, no, and doesn’t Greenpeace stop all development? Then they stopped Priya Pillai from boarding a flight And I thought, come on, why does she have to go to a British parliament to speak against India? Then they tried to arrest Teesta Setalvad, But I ignored that – the Supreme Court made sure nothing would happen to her, so why should we care? Then they raided Teesta’s home And I thought, maybe she had something to hide, otherwise why wouldn’t she disclose everything? Some day, they say, they’ll come for me. That’s ridiculous; India is the world’s largest democracy. It is not some banana republic. I pay my taxes; I have my aadhaar card; I even do yoga. But if they do come, will you speak up for me?
