(This article was originally published on 31 March 2018 and has been republished to mark Mohammad Akhlaq’s death anniversary.)
('If I could turn back time’ is a poem written by Jhilmil Breckenridge in September 2017. She’s a poet, writer, academician and the founder of Bhor Foundation. The Quint has reproduced the poem as an animated video)
Junaid rolls over, shakes off grave dust,
and starts walking home to his Ammi,
adjusting his skullcap
Mohammad Akhlaq opens his fridge
to pour a glass of tarboozi Rooh Afza
Pehlu Khan pushes away steel rods
like opening a window
and walks on; cows mooing by him
The tank rolls on in Kashmir,
no one would dream of tying
a man in front
The bus to Amarnath drives on,
voices raised in devotion
Bricks come flying back
to create standing walls —
children in Peshawar
turn pages of history books
The car does not bloom
into fire in the crowded
market
Bullets dislodge themselves
from spines and bellies
and ricochet back
into muzzles
Everything continues
as God planned
There are no more killings
in His name
If I Could Turn Back Time
Poem: Jhilmil Breckenridge
Animation: Susnata Paul
Typography: Saumya Pankaj
Editor: Puneet Bhatia
Cameramen: Athar Rather, Abhishek Ranjan
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