In admiration for the people of Bhopal, of Nandigram, of Chharanagar, and for the struggles that do not make it to newsprint, we remember three stanzas of a poem by Paash, (1950-1988) a revolutionary Punjabi poet.

Sabse Khatarnak
Mehnat ki loot sabse khatarnak nahi hoti,
Police ki maar sabse khatarnak nahi hoti,
Gaddari, lobh ki mutthi sabse khatarnak nahi hoti.
Baithe bithaye pakde jana bura to hai,
Sahmi si chhup me jakde jana bura to hai,
Par sabse khatarnak nahi hoti.
Sabse khatarnak hota hai murda shanti se bhar jana,
Na hona tadap ka, sab kuch sahan kar jana,
Ghar se nikalna kaam par, aur kaam se loutkar ghar aana,
Sabse khatarnak hota hai,
Hamare sapno ka mar jana.

Most Dangerous
Most treacherous is not the robbery of hard-earned wages,
Most horrible is not the torture by the police,
Most dangerous is not treason, or the fist of greed.
To be caught while asleep is surely bad,
surely bad is to be buried in silence,
But it is not the most dangerous.
Most dangerous is to be filled with dead peace,
Not to feel agony, simply bear it all,
Leaving home for work, and from work returning home,
Most dangerous is
the dying of our dreams.

[Adapted from the translation by Dr. Satnam Singh Sandhu.]