By Ajmal Khan
Miya main kaisa Musalman hain?
I am that Musalman who is being asked
again and again
again and again
if I am from Pakistan
when I say
My name is Ajmal
I am that Musalman
for whom it doesn’t make a difference
if I am a Khoja, Bohra Sunni or a Shia
But during frisking
if my name is asked
I say my name is Ajmal
then they ask
If I am from Pakistan
I am that Musalman
their bodies are yet to be found in Gujarat
I am that Musalman
who were burned
In Bhiwandi
In Moradabad
In Bhagalpur
In Bombay
In Gujarat
In Muzaffarnagar
In Kokrajhar
and many more
I am that Musalman
his name is Afzal Guru
I am that Musalman
his name is Yaqub Memon
I am that Musalman
his name is Muhammed Aqklaq
I am that Musalman
her name is Ishrat Jahan
I am that Musalman
his name Najeeb Ahmed
I am that Musalman
his name is Abdul Nazar Madani
I am that Musalman
who will be acquitted just before he die
or see no light even after death
I am that Musalman
who is outnumbered in your jails
I am that Musalman
who is killed in fake encounters
I am that Musalman
who kill his life as an under trial
I am that Musalman numbers
which appear in the reports of Sachar
I am that Musalman percentage
that you get scared of in census
I am that Muslim woman
who is shown as birthrates in your tables
I am that Musalman
who is unemployed
I am that Musalman
who is illiterate
I am that Musalman
who is poor and hungry
I am that Musalman
who you think is a vote bank
I am that Musalman
who you think is dirty
I am that Musalman
who eat beef
I am that Musalman
who is Love jihadi
I am that Musalman
who you think is fanatic
I am that Musalman
who you think is a terrorist
Miya main kaisa Musalman hain?
I am that Musalman
who is forced to sing Vande Mataram
I am that Musalman who has to celebrate
Sree Krishna jayanthi
I am that Musalman who will hold the tricolour
in order to be a Hindustani
I am that Musalman who is being asked
again and again
if I am a Pakistani
I am that Musalman who is made to think
I am an Hindustani Musalman
Or constantly being threatened
will be sent to Pakistan.
Ajmal Khan A.T is an activist and writer based in Mumbai.