Question

The poems and the song in this Unit allow you to see the range of ways in which individuals and communities express their opinions, their anger and their sorrow. In class, do the following two exercises:
(a) Bring to class a poem that discusses a social issue. Share this with your classmates. Work in small groups with two or more poems to discuss their meaning as well as what the poet is trying to communicate.
(b) Identify a marginalised community in your locality. Write a poem, or song, or draw a poster etc to express your feelings as a member of this community.

Answer 1

Hint: Poetry has the power to affect all generations and it can make people consider or think about a diverse range of things. In poetry the poet speaks intimately to the reader and we find out about the inner workings of the poet’s mind.

Complete Answer:
(a) The following is a poem on women empowerment :
A newborn baby smiles, Gazing at her mother, With playful eyes, So innocent, So young, The world is hers for the taking, A little girl laughs, Alone in a silent playground, Her eyes closed, Pigtails whipping through the wind ,Without a care, The world is hers for the taking, A young lady cries, Tiptoeing to the edge of the cliff, She has a choice, Irreversible, But she won't because, The world is hers for the taking, A middle-aged woman reads, To a classroom of eager faces, Staring expectantly at her, She prepares to share with, Each and every one, The ultimate power, Knowledge, The world is hers for the taking, A grandmother speaks, Telling her story, To all who wish to hear, She has lived many lives, And in each one she has known, The world is hers for the taking, All these women, Their power, Their ideas, Their stories, The world, Tries to reduce them, To less than their worth, But fails, Because the world, Has always been, And will always be, Theirs for the taking
(b) People who are treated as less important or insignificant and are considered as people of lower status, are the people who are called marginalised. Some sections of the Indian society refers to them as untouchables. There are various reasons why marginalised people are treated the way they are treated. One of the reasons why they are treated this way is because their inputs to the society are treated as insignificant by the people in power.
Caste is the basis on which the Indian constitution recognises socially marginalised communities. In India we can also see marginalisation happening on the basis of sex, disability and caste.

Note: The constitution of India has many provisions which deals with making sure that marginalisation does not happen in the society. One of the provisions is Article 46 in which the economic and educational interests of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other weaker sections are promoted.