Abide tide
We’re muscular, we pose in the gym.
‘Out you go!’---We jettison this hymn.
The Mahatma loved it
But today, it’s a misfit.
Let his song fade, let his ideas dim.
If 'Abide With Me' is to be viewed as a symbol of our colonial past, then the Beating The Retreat ceremony itself should be dropped; its origin is British. Ironically, the man who led the fight against our colonial masters included 'Abide With Me' in the bhajans played every evening in his Sabarmati Ashram. But anything loved by Gandhi has to be rejected by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks