After stern mountains, dour hills,
occasional cultivated valleys,
this favoured plain, unfairly lush,
amazed adventurers.
Flooded by sun more than monsoon,
plants, animals, men, gods all multiplied,
a windfall treasure trove of tax
for conquering kings of kings.
Aided by priests, this royalty
created a religion to deprive
the peasants of their harvest wealth
and glorify themselves.
Illusion fuelled by deceit
indocrinates the ignorant
with hopes of compensation bribed
by gifts for peevish gods.
Here wealth spreads thin across the fields
but stinks like dungheaps where the rajahs built;
here wives of farmers still can't read
and children beg for pens.
Monuments that amaze the world
survive the centuries built on the backs
of prematurely infirm castes
still defaecating fields.
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