Black Lilies

K Purushotham
Black Lilies: Telugu Dalit Poetry

In the entire history of Telugu literature, dalits have never been written about positively except by the medieval mystics - Potuluri Veerabrahmam, a sudra social reformer and Yogi Vemana, a non-brahmin - both of whom questioned social evils…..

When everyone subordinates you
your chances of reigning the empires would be ripe
the same people who scolded you
will be cured of their stupidity
and will themselves begin to adore you ......

One is a romantic poet, the other a poet with a heart of stone
one more, a poet who weeps -
Together, they console each other.
How will this Indian nation flourish?