26 January 1997

You amaze me, my country
that not only you grant immunity
to a dreaded Ghazi
who spawned the insurgency,
conspired and took up arms against you,
looted, burned and raped
and gunned down innocent denizens,
with impunity-
but also accord him the privilege
and the highest honour and courtesy
to take the salute today,
in the Republic Day parade
right in this borough here,
so near to where
his victims shiver
in the refugee tents
pitched helter-skelter.