Virsa

Hypocrisy runs as a strangler fig, Wrapping around their Ta Prohm of words. They lament the waining of our culture. They fervently write poems.

They criticize their daughters for letting the West dilute our traditions, Yet, they turn a blind eye while their sons' tongues are deforested of the trees of our mother tongue. They blame their sisters for "Westernization," Yet they look down on someone for being "too desi." They scold their wives for not keeping Punjabiyat alive, While they change their names from Baljinder to "Bill."

They blame women for not wearing salwar kameez, Yet they themselves sit in their homes wearing dress shirts and slacks. They lament the fact that their daughters do not wear Punjabi livaas, Yet they do not have a single kurta in their wardrobe.

The up-keeping of a culture does not rely on the food cooked by women. The up-keeping of a culture does not rely on the clothes worn by women. Women alone are not responsible for carrying the burden of continuing the Punjabi legacy, Everyone must take an active part.

So, unless, you are willing to put in an equal effort to upkeep our traditions, Your poems of lamenting charkhai and lonely phulkaris are useless. You are not being a part of the solution, You are a very big part of the problem.