Poem by famous Malayalam poet – Balachandran Chullikkad. In current issue of Mathrubhumi Illustrated 

Weekly

 Translation By Binu Karunakarana

Indian without an Aadhaar

by Balachandran Chullikkad

Court: Do you have Aadhaar?

Accused: No I’m Niraadhaar

Court: Hope you got a name?

Accused: Indian.

Court: Don’t you have any other?

Accused: No

Court: Name your father?

Accused: Mahatma Gandhi.

Court: Isn’t he the father of the nation?

Accused: Don’t know if there’s another one.

Court: And your mother?

Accused: Bharat Mata.

Court: You got to be an orphan?

Court: No. I’ve a guardian. The President.

Court: (Annoyed) Anything else to tell the court?

Accused: When memories rise…

Court: (Interrupting) A story of yourself?

Accused: Story without self.

Court: Cut the long story short.

Accused: It’s not much.

Court: Go ahead

Accused: When memories rise I was licking turd on a railway track.

Court: Yuck! What the heck!

Accused: Had no free ration since I had no ration card.

Court: Oh! Malnutrition.

Accused: Not really. Had banana skins on day and cum shot by cops in the night. And flies, in my dreams.

Court: (With contempt) Anything more?

Accused: That’s all I got.

Court: (Turning red) Stop it

Accused: (Politely) I rest my case

Court: It has been proved beyond doubt that the accused stabbed to death a religious preacher sermoning at the railway station ground. But considering the mental health of the accused the court orders incarceration in a mental asylum for life.