In an evocative protest poem, Sujoy rues that the Center’s counterfeit rule forces avian creatures to conform, sacrificing individuality — an exclusive for Different Truths. 

The little birds with motley bodies,
The architect of the palace of harmonious keys
As enchanting as the eyes of Helen,
An intriguing burrow with the honeyed scion.

But when they grow a bit,
As a rule, the Center counterfeits
They must leave with a heavenly ceremony,
Though signify less, it counts as many.
To settle into a new land,
With a newer milieu.
Silent in voice, sweet in attire,
As if ready to be in a funeral pyre,
To become contained and content,
To act as a pleasing agent,
Even at the cost of individuality,
That's what they are taught to be.

Picture design by Anumita Roy

Sujoy Kumar Acharjya

Sujoy Kumar Acharjya is an English lecturer at Bidhan Chandra College, Asansol, West Bengal. He currently works on various publications and conferences, including the Victorian World and its representations in English literature, crime fiction, crime poetry, Indian writing, post-50 British Literature, and mythological characters’ relevance in society. Acharjya is an avid reader and aspiring poet, focusing on real-life affairs and natural landscapes in his poetry.