In a poem entitled ‘Vasiyat’ (‘Will’), Kaifi Azmi is asking his son to give his heart, his eyes, even his khuddari (self-respect) after he dies but never, never give his vote to ‘them’, meaning the dark forces that are tearing away at society:

Jo vo phailain daaman ye vasiyat yaad kar lena

Unhein har chiiz de dena par un ko vote mat dena

(If they beg you remember this Will of mine

Give them everything, but do not give them your vote)

The poet and film-maker, Gulzar, who had made the film ‘Mere Apne’ (1971) about gang-warfare and political campaigning that exploits unemployed youth, writes this haiku-like piece on the post-election horse-trading and the scenes witnessed in Maharashtra after the recent elections using the analogy of rogue roosters and hapless hens:

Badey mustande murghe thhe gali ke

Bacha ke rakhna mushkil ho gaya thha murghiyon ko

Kabhi sab tokri mein rakh ke ooper eent rakh detey

To charrh ke eenton par vo bang detey thhey

Unhein darbon mein band kartey

To darwazon pe dastak aaney lagti thhi

Bason mein bhar ke le jaate hain ab

Unhein ab hotalon mein band rakhtey hain

Koi ‘ego’ nahin in murghiyon ki

Faqat voting mein aa kar andey detii hain!

(The roosters in the alley had become such rogues

It was becoming difficult to keep the hens safe

When the hens would be put under baskets with a brick on top

They would climb atop the bricks and crow

When the hens would be put in coops

They would begin to peck at the door

Now they are taken away in buses

And kept locked up in hotels

These hens have no ‘ego’

They only come during voting to lay eggs)