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| India-Pakistan |
| Controversial poem deleted from Pak textbook |
| 2005-12-03 |
| Bizarre The government is excising from the new English textbook for class XI a poem titled "The Leader" whose first alphabets of all its verses, put together in sequence as they occur, read President George W Bush. The 20-verse poem, authored by an anonymous poet, spells out ideal qualities "the leader" has. "We have decided to delete the poem from the book, published by the National Book Foundation (NBF) and prescribed for the federal board students of intermediate," a visibly embarrassed official of the federal education ministry told The News. "It will be stretching the matter too far- to assert that the poem was inserted in the book deliberately to enumerate the qualities of the American president," he said. "The Leader" by "Anonymous" appearing on page 226 of the book, with its editors being Muhammad Aslam Gondal and M H Hamdani, reads: "Patient and steady with all he must bear, Ready to accept every challenge with care, Easy in manner, yet solid as steel, Strong in his faith, refreshingly real, Isn't afraid to propose what is bold, Doesn't conform to the usual mold, Eyes that have foresight, for hindsight wont do, Never back down when he sees what is true, Tells it all straight, and means it all too, Going forward and knowing he's right, Even when doubted for why he would fight, Over and over he makes his case clear, Reaching to touch the ones who won't hear, Growing in strength, he won't be unnerved, Ever assuring he'll stand by his word, Wanting the world to join his firm stand, Bracing for war, but praying for peace, Using his power so evil will cease: So much a leader and worthy of trust, Here stands a man who will do what he must." |
| Posted by:john |
| #2 This poem is anachronistic. It rhymes. |
| Posted by: ed 2005-12-03 19:42 |
| #1 Perv is just jealous his name isn't spelled out |
| Posted by: john 2005-12-03 19:35 |