There is a heatwave nowadays in north India, including in Delhi where I live, with the temperature soaring in places upto 46 degrees centigrade.
The maximum temperature in Delhi today hovered between 43 degrees and 45 degrees centigrade, depending on the specific area and weather reporting station. Severe heat wave conditions are prevailing across the region, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warning of significantly above-normal temperatures.
This reminded me of the lines in a poem of the Hindi poet Ayodhya Singh Upadhyaya 'Hariaudh', which I had read in my school ( the Boys High School, Allahabad ) over 60 years ago :
निदाघ का काल महा-दुरन्त था।
भयावनी थी रवि-रश्मि हो गयी।
तवा समा थी तपती वसुंधरा।
स्फुलिंग वर्षारत तप्त व्योम था॥
प्रचंड लू थी अति-तीव्र घाम था।
मुहुर्मुहु: गर्जन था समीर का।
विलुप्त हो सर्व-प्रभाव-अन्य का।
निदाघ का एक अखंड-राज्य था॥
Fortunately, I have an AC, so I will be able to sleep tonight.
But what about the poor people who don't? Does anyone care for them?
And the whole of June still lies ahead, when the heat may go up further.
Justice Katju is a retired Judge of the Supreme Court of India and a former Chairman of the Press Council of India. These are his personal views.
