While going through my college diary I stumbled upon this poem that I had written in the beginning of June 2010, when preparations for Commonwealth Games were in full swing. Here is the poem:
Is this Delhi that I see?
No birds, no plants, no greenery
Beautification of the city they said
‘Men at work’ the signboards read
Bricks, mortar, cement, and stone
New structures have been grown
Colour, fragrance, liveliness
Nature spreading happiness
Sweet songs of birds and bees
Pure air and the cool breeze
Now replaced by oil and grease
Smoky air that makes you sneeze
Is this Delhi that I see?
No birds, no plants, no greenery.
2010 Commonwealth Games
It was the culprit to be blamed
But is it right and is it fair
Blame not one it should be shared
Wrong has been done, everyone’s to blame
It was not ‘them’ cause ‘we’ had claimed
Beautification by cutting down trees
Progress and growth that’s what we see
Isn’t it so foolish, isn’t it so lame
Putting natural beauty to artificial shame
Cement structures and stony lanes
Done all this for Commonwealth Games
Oh when will this attitude change?
‘Growth’ by cutting tress isn’t it strange
Not measured by the structures built
But by the trees that we have killed
Can’t change it now we’ve done it all
Letting buildings grow & trees to fall
We’ve done it all
We’ve done it all.
Is this Delhi that I see?
No birds, no plants, no greenery.
