ಎಂದಿಗೆ (Endige)

B.C. Ramachandra Sharma's Endige ('When?') is a powerful Navya poem that questions the quality of India's 1947 freedom. Rather than celebrating political independence, it explores the deep disappointment and spiritual decay that followed. The poet asks urgent questions: when will his country's people gain true understanding, and when will the cloud of ignorance lift? He notes that though we boast of hundreds of millions of people, our collective intellect remains trapped in superstition and blind obedience.

Freedom turned to poison

He contrasts past and present: the freedom struggle was a sacred fire fuelled by the blood of countless martyrs, but the inherited 'freedom' has been corrupted, its sweet nectar turned to bitter poison by the greed of modern politicians and bureaucrats who exploit the nation for personal gain.

Exploitation and the call to revolt

The poet exposes the exploitation of the poor: farmers and labourers still sweat in the fields, yet their harvest is stolen by societal 'demons', the corrupt elite and middlemen. He describes the poor as living skeletons on their own lands while the wealthy build palaces of luxury on their exploitation. The poem ends with a rebellious call to action, invoking Parashurama's axe and the fiery spirit of revolution: the people must shed their slave mentality, question their leaders, and rise to reclaim their dignity and build a society of equality, justice and truth.