BADRI RAINA | Caravan Daily
I solemnly swear by
The Constitution that once
I am sworn in as minister,
The Constitution will be thrown
Into the dustbin of secular
History, and a new Constitution
Born that will install upon
Court-House and Parliament
A flag of one hue and one intent.
For wasted decades have we
Sought to defeat, without success,
Through reason and democracy
The uni-dimentional cussedness
Of our neighbor, but to no avail;
Now it is best that we learn to be
Like them on a more massive scale
So that our lust for victory is not
Thwarted by the virus of plurality.
This oath that I take, therefore,
Is a necessary chore to dismantle
The edifice that has brought us
To this grim consequence where
Everyone lays claim to the nation
Which from ancient texts we
Know belongs only to some.
Thus even as I chant this secular
Oath, I mutter with a deeper breath
Jai Bhagwa, Jai Saffron,
Jai Hindu Pakistan.