Significance of The Title , Can You Make Out by Sandra Cyriac

The poem Can You Make out by Kumar Vikal brings into light the sufferings and misery of common people during any communal riot which are never addressed by anyone. The title itself seeks the meaning of the uproars caused in the name of different faiths. Throughout the poem,poet raises questions on distinguishing people based on their castes and religion. He asks if you can make out the religion of a person by the smell of his blood which is splattered on the road. He asks if you can make out the religion of a person by the smell of the food scattered on the ground. He further seeks the religion and the meaning of the tears of the mothers who are shattered by hearing the death of their children. Through the entire poem, the poet seeks the meaning of communal riots and violence caused by them. The title justifies the theme of the poem and makes the readers think about the effects of such riots and the importance of wiping the tears of the people who are affected by them. Whatever be the reason or the situation, it is the common people who suffer at last. The title presents the idea that after all, we are all human beings and we have to look at each other with that emotion of humanity.