Irony

Many years ago in the then India

Shankar, the cartoonist

Could make fun of anyone including

the PM in his cartoons

Today-an artist, cartoonist beware

Thou could be hounded, put behind bars

forced to leave and die in another land

If annoying the law makers, the politicians

Or the  organised touchy sensitive citizens

 of modern India!

 We claim  progress; we claim growth

have big shopping malls

 latest cars and gadgets

are connected to

the whole world through internet

yet the irony is...

with each passing day

more intolerant has India  become

the  people  can't speak their mind

can't express dissent

another point of view

Is this progress?

Is this success?

 With passage of  time,are we going backwards

instead of forward

with new generations  enjoying less freedom of expression

than their ancestors........