A TRANSLATED POEM OF 

KALYANI THAKUR CHARAL  

CONTEMPORARY BENGALI DALIT POETESS

BENGALI  POETESS - KALYANI  THAKUR  CHARAL

Contemporary Bangla literaure is incomplete without strong dalit voices ignored for decades!!

A poem from Chandalinir Kobita (Published in 2011) 


by Kalyani Thakur (Translated from Bangla by Jaydeep Sarangi, poem Number:37)


Heard insane musing
Of hammer and burning iron
Lying beside the furnace.

Ran from this post to that
Like a weaver shuttle.

Like a plough head
On the back of a farmer
I go to a far off land.


Toiled hard in the wide field
To see crop blooming all-round.

All to meet the hunger only.

Yet, Amlasole is a reality.


I feed my children with white eggs
Of red ants 
Inspire of boiled rice.

The siblings nourished by that only
Take up bows and arrows in their hands.

They are desperate
Even they are ready to face
The bullet
With their broad breast
Without knowing 
Underlying meaning of ‘revolution’.