NEW DELHI: “Ek roz, apni rooh se pucha, Dilli kya hai, to yun jawab mein keh gai – yeh duniya maano jism hai aur Dilli uski jaan...” (Once I asked my soul, what is Delhi; and she replied – if this world is a body, Delhi is the life in its veins...)
Who knew our Chief Minister had such flair for poetry! Presenting her maiden Budget on the floor of the Assembly on Tuesday, Rekha Gupta time and again alluded to couplets from Bashir Badr and Ghalib to express her affinity for the capital and its people, adding a lyrical quality to her speech.
Before she proceeded to present the Budget 2025, Gupta opened her speech with a couplet from Manzoor Hashmi – “Yakeen ho to koi raasta nikata hai, hawa ki aot lekar bhi chirag jalta hai...” (If there is faith, a way reveals itself; a lamp burns even in a shelter of winds...)
Apparently, the couplet meant to inspire hope among Delhi residents who had to endure much hassle owing to dilapidated roads, water shortage and rampant pollution due to inaction of the previous government. “When I look at Delhi, I am reminded of Bashir Badr’s poetry,” Gupta mused; “Dil ki basti purani Dilli hai... jo bhi guzra hai, us ne loota hai... (My heart resides in old Delhi... and those who have passed, have looted it...)” she said, in a veiled jibe at the AAP government.
Her lyrical tone hardly diminished her sharp criticism of the previous dispensation: “Kuch der ki khamoshi hai, phir shor bhi ayega, kabhi tumhara daur aaya tha, ab hamara daur aayega...” (There is a moment’s silence before the din comes in, once it was your time, now it is ours...)
Sharing her government’s vision for the capital, Gupta strayed into another lyrical enunciation – “Ab Delhi na thamegi, na rukegi... (Now, Delhi will neither stop nor stutter...)” Finally, concluding her Budget speech, Gupta mused: “Hawa ka rukh badal dene ka hausla bhi hai takat bhi, nibhate hain agar koi bhi vada karliya humne… safar apna kisi toofan ke dar nahi rukta, irada karliya to phir irada kar liya humne...” (We have courage and strength to change the course of wind; we fulfill promises we make... a storm can impede our course, once we decide, we have decided...)