The Great Divide And Shoeless in Kashmir

The Great Divide And Shoeless in Kashmir, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

I have just come back from town , with my wife we were both caught in the worst downpour almost like a mini cloud burst we had a very tough time getting back to Bandra no cabs , roads water logged we managed to hop into a bus and have just reached home intact.

We broke our fast in the office of Moghul Masjid I shot a lot off pictures , and mind we were without an umbrella.

I met some Kashmiri Shias who broke fast with us,,

I shot guys huddled together breaking their fasts on the road I shot the Iftar and the namaz at Moghul Masjid , and outside the mosque man was caught in torrential rains.

We were totally drenched when we reached home a few minutes back.

And the picture is of a Bandra Beggar shot on 15 August our 64 Independence Day and he has turned his back on the world he has lost faith completely...,

the divide between
the beggar and the rich man
just cannot be bridged
he told me grumbling
in guilt as he wallowed
his office for begging
on the road
he was complaining
the finance ministry
wants to charge
12.5 %vat
on his alms
add to the misery
of his load
his office like
a public toilet
no commode
he uses gutter
rain water to
scrub his ass
while sportsmen
use gold foiled
tissue paper
in the common wealth
games
he bellowed
the country
has gone
to the dogs
he echoed
shoe shops
are doing terrific
business
making
in roads
in kashmir
they want
our mumbai
second hand shoes
to pelt at leaders
get kayoed
the copy
of the order
to me he showed
though he felt sorry
for those who
were shot their
wives widowed
children dead
in a war of hate
as he mellowed
he was fasting
he spat out
another
thought he had
accidentally
swallowed
as cars all around him
on the traffic signal of life
snarled honked
thanklessly flowed