Response Poem 1: On Agha Shahid Ali's 'Dear Shahid' - Devyani

Dear Shahid,

Convey this to the men around you.

I am writing to you about a man’s far-off thinking. Far even from us who live here with endless terror. Where only men live freely. Every woman carries her pepper spray in her pocket so that at least her body will be protected by chance before getting raped by men.

Rumours break on our way before we reach homes in our cities. But what happened to us never reaches even from the paid-news channels: Women are forced to stand barefoot outside Sabrimala in the heating sun all day. The women are impure. Men smash our rights to even worship Gods. With bare hands, they tear our wishes to ashes.

Everyone (including men) must have heard Nirbhaya was raped. Nirbhaya: Daughter of the city. Only twenty-three years old. A doctor- who had treated a twenty-three years old girl said:” In my close to 40 years of experience as a surgeon, I have not come across more brutal assault on a person. It was man-made and irreparable.” She survived 13 days because she was tough.

This letter, insh’Allah, will reach men around you on behalf of my sister left to heaven on 29 December 2012 where she couldn’t post it. Because one can’t even manage a dialogue with your patriarchy. Today I went to the police station. Across the ocean. Files and files- hundreds of canvas files- all undelivered justice. By chance I look down and there on the floor I saw this letter addressed to you from Nirbhaya straight from heaven. So I am enclosing it. I know it is not from someone you are longing for news of. I know men around you would never want to read it.

Things here are as usual though we are always bound to talk about their (men) inhumaneness on us. Will men understand soon? Waiting for them to understand my condition is like waiting for ‘Azaad aurat.’ We are waiting for laws which will define the fate of all the rape culprits. And, if God wills, O! those days of peace when we all were in love and the rain was in our hands wherever we went—as I see in my dream every day may come true.

Convey this letter to them, I trust you Shahid.