3.
Found Poems—Hyderabad
These poems are based off of accounts of religious violence in two cities, both named Hyderabad, one in India and one in Pakistan.
1.Two Cities

there was a section of the Army itself not equally free from communal hostility
irrespective of faith or creed
put a gun to his head

      Hyderabad, Pakistan
      the very dark clouds

“Pakistan was built in the name of Islam,
This makes it easy to exploit religious minorities in our country”

their problems are at the bottom of the priority list.
      Hyderabad, India
      In many places we were shown wells full of corpses rotting
Before concluding the summary of the stories of the atrocities committed on Muslims

not many unfortunately,                        stand  for silver lining

,we must affirm                
                    our own responsibility
                        with
                                the sufferers
The violence                                is what won at the end
2.Our Woman

Our community can bear looting and kidnapping of our men, 
but the abduction of our daughter and wives is too painful.

We found him genuinely                            
                                                                                                      anxious

and going all out to
appear to have spared                            
                                                                                   women


“I can provide her with so much more”
          But he was
seen taking part and sharing the loot!
          But he
can’t give up on her

Forcible ‘Conversions’

It can be an honour to convert
It can be a goodwill mission
It can provide for the people of Hyderabad


Vulnerable
“I’m terrified he will kidnap me,”

                                            sometimes the girls run away by choice

force me to accept
all turn a blind eye

She can not be a line                       between the Hindus and the Muslims
3.Power

The Hyderabad region has been one of the most religiously diverse regions

Muslim weavers
invariably                     defended
tens of thousands

one guilty individual 
the perpetrators of these crimes

                                    magnified

The hardships inflicted upon the Muslims
simply because they are Muslims.

a Hindu worker at a local thread-making factory
protected them often

The fast and bitter experience
Controlled by one
targeted working class people

peace and harmony             disrupted


He threw the knives
flying at the throats of each other
maintaining their power

our screams fall on deaf ears

Of those forming an 
Anti-Hyderabad

In                                          love marriage
between the powers in charge

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Sources- Words and phrases italicized were found in three texts. ​

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