REFLECTIONS IN RHYME AND RHYTHM (HB)

‘In delightful and gently acerbic verse, Sibal has given us the benefit of a life’s experience.’—Keki N. Daruwalla,Poet and writer‘These excursions in verse reveal Kapil Sibal’s innermost concerns, his political preoccupations, his heartfelt emotions and his sense of mischief.’—Dr Shashi Tharoor,Member of Parliament, Lok SabhaReflections: In Rhyme and Rhythm consists of cameo presentations of how I see my country. The watchful eye is able to discern farcical charades being played to woo, to deceive and then to conquer. The truth often eludes us. We are both inundated and overwhelmed with images which seek to colour and capture the mind. We live in an India where conflict and violence is justified through skewed moral fervour. We watch with unease the fragile lives of others destroyed with ease and without compunction. We often see what is not; we seldom get to see what is. Those in power cruise along by peddling lies. Any attempt to discover truth is targeted. Civilization marches on; times change, but the basic instincts of humans remain the same. Greed is a driving force with which empires were built. But the cyclical nature of human endeavour allows for change. Those who live a static life may find comfort but will go through their uneventful journey having lost their chance to live. Love and empathy help build bonds. They help unite people, a necessary pre-requisite for peace and prosperity. In their absence, the march ahead is full of thorns. The world occasionally misses those who sacrificed their lives for the noble cause of peace. Our world has forgotten them.