Who is a WITCH?

One fine morning, I received call from a hospital where I do my private practice. They asked me to come hospital to see an emergency patient there.

I reached emergency in few minutes. A gentleman was sitting in emergency tool. Our paramedic who had done primary management, told me that there was simple case of physical assault brought by police, and police were waiting outside to arrest him after we discharge him from hospital. He further suggested me to admit him in hospital which will save him from torture by police, and further it will be economically beneficial to hospital as well. (Let me remind that such request is not unusual in private health centers, further requesting for admition and expensive labs/meds and huge bill is also not unusual by patients of physical assault since the assaulter will pay for the bills.)

I took a quick history from patient, he said he was beaten badly and is having severe pain, and requested me to admit him in hospital to do necessary treatment and pain management. His examination findings were normal. His anxiety made me feel that I should admit him. I sent an Xray to rule out bone fracture.

I had to wait for sometime till report of X-Rays comes. In this leisure, I asked helper-boy of hospital about why police were waiting outside. He said, “Sir, the patient you are seeing is famous politician from major political party. His daughter is sick since few months due to a witch-craft (बोक्सीको जादूटुना). Thus they beat the witch and her family. The beaten family is under treatment in nearby hospital.” He further gave his view that witch should be treated exactly like this.

“If there was something called witch, no terrorist would use suicide-bomb. They would rather come to our villages to learn the witchcraft and kill or injure the people-leaders they want without any difficulty.” I said. I had grown little angry myself knowing that my patient has accused some one of being witch and has beaten her innocent family for no reason.

Photo of Kantipur Dialy
of news on same issue

Report of x-ray came in few minutes showing normal findings. I prescribed the needed medications and informed the police that they can take him away now.

Not only friends in hospital, but also few of my close well wishers were not happy for what I did later. They commented that helping political people is relation of give-and-take. It would be beneficial to me later. They further warned me that in current society, there isn’t good place for a person who only does what he thinks is right. Being ethical doesn’t pays, instead it harms.

I silently disagreed.

In the evening, there was news in “avenues tv “ about same incident, that the culprits are arrested. Next day, I read in national newspaper “Kantipur” and the “Nagarik” about same. All of them made me feel that, if had really helped him to escape from police, I won’t have been able to forgive myself.

At the end, it’s not about what my gain is, it’s only about what type of person I ought to be….

An interpretation

An interpretation 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXEYb7bCaQo

(Click on this link of YouTube to listen the song i am talking about.) 

Above song in YouTube, It was not just next song.

That night, I was going through kind of hard time in life. Life of none is easy, neither is mine. Music happens to be my best friend of difficult times. That night too, I was listening to songs in YouTube. This came just as a next song and touched me somewhere inside.

I felt as if lyrics were talking to me. For me it was talk between mother and son (though you may not agree me on this). I am writing my translation (with little edits) in English, and also my own interpretation of the song/poem.

Paragraph 1                                                                                                   My Translation

Ek bagal mein chand hoga, ek bagal mein rotiyan                       Moon on a side and food on other,
Ek bagal mein neend hogi, ek bagal mein loriyan                        Sleep on a side and lullaby on other,
Hum chand pe, Roti ki chadar daal kar so jayenge                      I will sleep on moon with mattress of food,
Aur neend se, Keh denge lori kal sunane aayenge                      And tell the sleep, lullaby tomorrow.

First paragraph is son’s word. He is showing options. Firstly moon Vs food, means ambition (moon) Vs current need (food). Secondly Sleep Vs lullaby, means comfort of future (sleep) Vs Hard work i.e. Means to attain it (Lullaby). 

The son selects his options too, but negatively. He wants to sleep on moon with mattress of food. Meaning that forgetting the ambition, he wants to enjoy current need. He want to tell the sleep that lullaby tomorrow, means tell the comfort of future that hard-work tomorrow.
He sounds frustrated.

Paragraph 2                                                                                                   My Translation

Ek bagal mein khan-khanati seepiyan ho jayengi,                      Ruby on a side,
Ek bagal mein kuchh rulati sisikiyan ho jayengi,                          tears on other side,
Hum seepiyon mein, bhar ke saare taare chun ke aayenge,      A lot of rubies we will gather,
Aur siskiyon ko, Gudgudi kar kar ke yun behlayenge,                 and tickle the pain, to laugh out the tear

Second paragraph is mothers reply. She is teaching her child, giving him hope. 

She too is showing options. Ruby Vs Tears, means prosperity (Ruby) Vs Current pain during hard work (Tears). She too is selecting options, but positively. She wants to attain prosperity. Obviously hard-work comes between current tears and future prosperity. She is teaching to enjoy during the times of tears.

“Aur siskiyo ko gudgudi kar-karke yun behlaayege”, She is outstandingly telling to tickle the tear to make it laugh, meaning try to enjoy even at the time of tears. Don’t worry for current problem, suppress the tear and think about the bright future.

Paragraph 3                                                                                                   My Translation

Amma teri siskiyon pe koi rone aayega                                      Mom, someone will come to cry with our tear
Gam na kar jo aayega woh phir kabhi na jayega                        Don’t worry, who comes won’t leave us ever
Yaad rakh par koi anhoni nahi tu layegi                                      Make sure, you avoid any decision of disaster,
Layegi to phir kahani aur kuchh ho jayegi                                   Otherwise, that can again be the  game changer

The first word of this verse “mom” made me think most that this all poem is talk between mother and son.

Here, the son is gaining strength. He too is showing bright future. He hopes, good days will come and never goes away. But he is afraid too: something bad may happen, good days may come never. He wishes his mom to avoid any bad decisions and makes sure it won’t happen, good times do comes. Otherwise, things may stay as it is, he warns.

Paragraph 4 (Last)                                                                                            My Translation

Honi aur anhoni ki parwah kise hai meri jaan                              Either good happens or bad, who is worried?
Hadd se jyaada yeh hi hoga ki yahin mar jayenge                      Even the worst happening, that we are killed,
Hum maut ko, Sapna bata kar uth khade honge yahin               We will move on even if  worst outcome is paved
Aur honi ko, Thenga dikha kar khil-khilte jayenge                       Will laugh out louder and tease the mis-happenings made

Mom summarizes with further strength. She suggests not to worry what happens, even if it’s worst possible outcome. Even if the worst thing happens, we can ignore it and move on. We will be laughing out and tease the worst outcome as well. We will make sure that we are not worried at all even with worst thing that made to happen with us.

The last line, “Honi ko thenga dikhakar khilkhilate jayenge”: “we will move on laughing, teasing the mis-happenings to us” is the sentence with most strong meaning. I don’t think any better closing was possible.

I feel, this poem by Piyush Chawla is an outstanding piece of creation.

They say, poetry is like water, you can make it take the shape of your container or flow as per your wish. It’s ok to tell that I interpreted like this because I wanted to. Actually this is what poetry is.

The ‘Precedent medal of freedom’ winner, Pablo Casals, wrote that, “The art of interpretation is not to play what is written.” So this is my interpretation. You are free to disagree or focus differently.

Thank you