FM recites Kashmiri poet Dinanath Nadim during Budget. Here's what she said

Reading out stories and poems during Budget Speeches is not unusual in the Parliament, but when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that she was going to recite a Kashmiri poem, it caused a flutter. Many opposition leaders booed the Minister's recitation of Kashmiri poet, Pandit Dinanath Nadim's popular poem Myon Watan, as Kashmir continues to be imposed under a communication blockade and news of heavy policing and torture continues to hog the front pages. 

Sitharaman read out the poem in Kashmiri and then in Hindi. The lines she read were — Hamara Watan Kilte Shalimar Bagh ke Tarah,  

Hamara watan Dal lake mein Khilte hue Kamal jaisa hai, 

Naujawano ke garam Khoon jaisa hai,  

Mera watan tera watan hamara watan, 

Duniya ka sabse pyara watan.

The words translate to —  

Our country is like a blooming Shalimar Bagh,  

Our country is like a lotus blooming in Dal Lake,  

Our country is like a lotus blooming in Dal Lake, 

My country, your country, our country

The world's most adorable country. 

Even as she concluded, the opposition party members raised their voices, dissing the Minister. But the ruling party subtly (or overtly) tipped their hats to themselves over the abrogation of section 370. 

The poem though was written by the Sahitya Akademi Award winner who passed away in 1988. The prominent Kashmiri poet was born in Srinagar city and with him began an era of modern Kashmiri poetry. He is believed to have led the progressive writers movement in Kashmir. Rooted to the soil of Kashmir, Nadim's language was spoken Kashmiri, though he initially wrote in Hindi and Urdu as well. He influenced a large group of poets of his age as well as younger than him. Me Chhum Aash Paghich (I am hopeful of tomorrow) is the most powerful Anti war poem in Kashmiri which Nadim wrote.

Sitharaman said that she was reciting the poem because she was speaking today, under the guidance of the Prime Minister for their 'pyare watan' or loving nation.

The poem recitation during the budget speech was recieved with both criticism and praise on social media. One user said, "Nirmala S has read some Kashmiri poem at the budget presentation. This after invisiblising them, adding on to a decades long moral & humanitarian crisis. Did they announce a compensation package for all that is lost in the 6 mos? Economic. Human. What about justice? Shame."

Another user said, "Narrating a poem on #Kashmir will not compensate $1 billion trade loss, 1 lakh job loss in private sector since August 5 - Is Budget scripting a solution to economic mess or is it merely a script of poetry & dialogues?" One other Twitter user pointed out the irony of Sitharaman reciting the poem when as the communication bloackade continues in Kashmir, "Uproar in Parliament as FM says she's about to recite lines from a #Kashmiri poem. The irony: #Kashmir has been under a communication lockdown for over 180 days. Most people there can't see her budget speech!"

Some users praised the Minister as it was allegedly the first time in the history of the Indian budget that such an incident had taken place.