While disruptions quickly took over the Rajya Sabha on Friday, leading to adjournment of the House, the proceedings began on a convivial note. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar extended birthday greetings to Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, who was not present in the House, to applause from both sides of the aisle. Dhankhar said Kharge had called on him on Thursday before leaving for Karnataka and the two had a pleasant interaction. “Mausam bilkul theek tha [the weather was fine],” Dhankhar said, after praising Kharge for his “wit and humour”. Poem Of Anguish DMK Lok Sabha member Thamizhachi Thangapandian (Sumathy) expressed her anguish over what happened in Manipur differently. The poet-turned-politician from Chennai South translated one of her Tamil poems — Poo Nagam (a venomous mythological snake that lives among flowers) —to English and distributed copies among the members. “Which holy river of this country, Could wash the stains of flesh clean from our rapes?, Which Gods of this country had paid heed, When we were disrobed? Which forums of this country, Resonated the grief of our cries? Which doors of this country should we knock, To free ourselves from the nightmares…,” reads the translation, which left some of the members emotional, apparently.
