Bagdad by Murugan Kattkkada: An Attempt to Translate

Charred sand swirls up in the air,
Mechanical crow flies upside down,
little childhoods oozing blood from the split heads
down in the valley.
It's Bagdad,
Bagdad of the Arabian tales my mum told (2)
Little sprouts withered by the splattered blood in the butcher shop
dusty lumps packed in rags lies strewn in silence
amidst, sleeps in little dress a shattered childhood
Mum near creaked the pack and laid her half arm on the blushed cheek
It's Bagdad,
Bagdad of the Arabian tales my mum told (2)
Beside the pavement lies a wick, put off and smoke curls up
......
A cute little child, like a cross that lost both its arms,
pitifully dozes on the sick bed with spilling eyes
praying for the gift of a hand to wipe his tears.
In dreams he lingered with little calves far away
but rose from sleep with the prick of a thorn while nipping a water lilly.
Mum sat near, not weeping and said “now on my eyes are your hands”
It's Bagdad,
Bagdad of the Arabian tales my mum told (2)
They asked from far: “who is in your dreams?”
Kick off all the dreams with no sponsors
Cast off your name and roots, we will give you hot dreams
or else you will be given a fire fruit with thousand wicks to swallow
and fill your nights with nightmares...
...
and make a pyre with the tree of culture that you nurtured
The shade tree is axed at the root
Will be given a colourful mansion with dream comforts instead
...
...

Who needs Ruffiyaa?

Which is the currency that even the people of the country that produce(own) it does not need?

Answer: Maldivian Ruffiyaa

A few days back I went to book two tickets for a submarine dive in Male', the capital of Maldives. I had only Maldivian Ruffiyaa with me. They returned me saying "We will not accept Maldivian Ruffiyaa. You have to pay in US Dollars"

SECULAR FUNDAMENTALISM

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1377684/Electrician-Colin-Atkinson-faces-sack-Christian-cross-van-dashboard.html

This news in Daily Mail seems to be strange and shocking for a believer like me. For me this signifies the beginning of an age of SECULAR FUNDAMENTALISM.Secular Fundamentalism is as inadvisable as any religious fundamentalism. The meaning of the word tolerance has to be understood properly. Tolerance does not mean doing away with someone or some idea or some belief. It means the ability to live with people of other beliefs and respect them and their beliefs while upholding and practicing your own faith and beliefs. Remember Secular Fundamentalism is not a substitute for Religious Fundamentalism.