No Nation for atheist

Poetry by Kamal Kumar Tanti from the Pride/Prejudice issue

When I pronounce
I am an atheist,
People around
looks at me suspiciously.
There is no nation for atheist.
The country is for Hindus.
The other country is for Muslims.
The countries are for Christians.
When I pronounce
I am an atheist,
Young boys and girls around,
looks me at with amaze.
Where there is Nation,
there is religion.
No Nation for atheist.

Kamal Kumar Tanti

Kamal Kumar Tanti (b. 1982) is a well-known young voice in the contemporary world of Assamese Poetry. Kamal is a bilingual poet, critic, writer and translator; and writes both in Assamese and English languages. He is a nominated Member of Assamese Language Advisory Board of Sahitya Akademi (National Academy of Letters), New Delhi. He belongs to Adivasi Tea-garden Labourer Community of Assam. His first collection of Assamese poetry Marangburu Amar Pita (Our Father Marangburu), published in 2007, won him the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar in 2012, for Assamese language and Munin Barkotoki Literary Award in 2008. His second collection of Assamese poetry Uttar-Ouponibeshik Kabita (Post-colonial Poems) has been published recently in July, 2018. His Assamese poems have been included in various anthologies of Assamese poetry and featured in various journals in Assamese. His recently published book titled Post-colonial Poems presents the best of his Assamese poems in English translations, selected from his two collections of Assamese poetry.