Injustice

Abstract

I translated this Hindi poem by Nityanand Gayen at a time when it was becoming oppressive to live in America as an immigrant, a person of color and a woman, under the rhetoric of political leaders who degraded these core aspects of my identity. The country experienced a ban on visas for people from nations where Islam is the dominant religion, a women's awakening with the MeToo movement and the Black Lives Matter movement gained momentum as the murders of African Americans continued to escalate with brutal violence perpetuated by the law enforcement officers. As citizens, vast majority of us had a political awakening where remaining silent was no longer an option. I do not know the context in which the poet wrote the poem, but being a young contemporary poet, the news from India with politically motivated violence against women and muslims begged for attention by everyone.