Resist the Regime, but Poetically

“If I don’t write about what’s happening around us, what will be the difference between me and Nero? There is a fire raging through my city, my country and if at this time I write about my mehboob’s zulf (beloved’s tresses), I must be either blind or deaf,” said the legendary Rahat Indori on multiple occasions. One recounts his call to action during nationwide protests like anti-CAA and NRC demonstrations, which are manifestations of dissent against exclusionary politics of the current government. Many others like Late Rahat Indori believe in the power of poetry, and the political nature of its being.

For anyone who followed the anti-CAA protests, they know that Faiz’s “Hum Dekhenge” is more than just a nazm; it is a transcendental experience that disregards all differences other than that between the oppressor and the oppressed. These verses of a Pakistani revolutionary reverberated throughout India, becoming a war-cry of freedom. It is almost funny how history repeats itself–this nazm was banned some thirty-odd years ago for being ‘anti-Islamic’ in Pakistan under dictator Zia-ul-Haq’s oppressive regime and is now being tagged ‘anti-Hindu’ in Modi’s India.

Hum Dekhenge by Faiz

Hum Bhi Dekhenge, Hum Bhi Dekhenge
Jab Zulm-O-Sitam Ke Koh-E-Garan
Rooyi Ki Tarah Ud Jayenge, Hum Dekhenge

Hum Mehkumon Ke Paon Tale,
Ye Dharti Dhar Dhar Dharkegi,
Aur Ahl-E-Hakam Ke Sar Oopar,
Jab Bijli Kar Kar Karkegi,

Hum Dekhenge. Hum Dekhenge.

Bas Naam Rahega Allah Ka,
Jo Gayab Bhi Hai Hazir Bhi,
Jo Manzar Bhi Hai Nazir Bhi,

Utthega An-Al-Haq Ka Nara,
Jo Main Bhi Hoon, Aur Tum Bhi Ho,
Aur Raaj Karegi Khalq-E-Khuda,
Jo Main Bhi Hoon Aur Tum Bhi Ho,

Hum Dekhenge. Hum Dekhenge
 

(Translation sourced from Lyrics Ez)

When dark peaks of torment and tyranny
will be blown away like cotton fluff;

When the earth's beating, beating heart
will pulsate beneath our broken feet;

When crackling, crashing lightning
will smite the heads of our tormentors;

When, from the seat of the Almighty
every pedestal will lie displaced;

Then, the dispossessed we; we
who kept the faith will be installed
to our inalienable legacy.
Every crown will be flung.
Each throne brought down.

Only His name will remain; He,
who is both unseen, and ubiquitous; He,
who is both the vision and the beholder.

When the clarion call of 'I am Truth'
(the truth that is me and the truth that is you)
will ring out, all God's creatures will rule,
those like me and those like you. 

While poetry makes for a perfect leisure time activity, poets have time and again emphasised on it being a tool for dissent. For most people, the phenomenon of protest poetry might seem new but it is only its virality which is a novel element—thanks to social media. Interestingly, the first form of expression of dissent in the Indian social structure happens to be the writings of poet-bards and the Upanishads. The latter call for adopting tapas and yog to attain salvation, as opposed to sacrificial rituals. Romila Thapar, the known historian, has also argued that the renunciation of social life and migration to the forest also reflects non-conformity with the prevalent social structure. Historically, Indian poets like Kabir, Ravidas, Mira and Sant Soyaraboi have been anti-establishment.

In post-colonial India too, protest literature has been present every time there was socio-political unrest. Two classic examples are the Emergency of 1975 and the Babri Masjid Demolition.

​Emergency (1975)

​Babri Masjid Demolition (1992)

​During Emergency, Hindi poet Nagarjuna wrote a poem titled Induji kya hua aapko?, addressed to the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. Here’s an extract: Kya hua aapko, kya hua aapko, satta ki masti mein bhul gayi baap ko? (Indu, what happened to you? In this game of power, did you forget the boss?)

​Jagan Nath Azad, a famous Urdu poet wrote in anguish, Khuda ka ghar hai Mandir bhi khuda ka ghar hai Masjid bhi / Mujhe to mere Hindu dharm ne bas ye sikhaya hai Nahi hai dharm hargiz wo faqat andhi siyasat hai / Tujhe tera ye dars-e-shaitaniyat tujh ko padhaya hai (Mosque and temple both are the abode of God / My Hindu religion has taught me only this much This is not religion but the politics of hate / You have been taught a satanic lesson)

Cut to contemporary times when India is experiencing a spike in mass protests, like the anti-CAA and NRC protests, and farmer’s protests among other smaller movements of defiance. While each protest has a specific focus point—like a set of demands—we must not see them in isolation. In the current context, the growing discontent against the fascist character of the state is an overarching theme in most manifestations of dissent. Even for a global outlook, the Washington Post remarked that “2019 has become the year of the street protestor”, which perhaps would have continued if it weren’t for the global coronavirus pandemic.

Protestors are invoking constitutional values, primarily focusing on how inclusive the ‘idea of an Indian’ is or should be. They are attempting to bring the concerns of minorities and marginalised to the fore. And what is a better way than music and poetry to get the message across? Here are some examples:

Resistance Songs @ Farmers’ Protests

Most poetic verses are imploring one’s conscience to stand with the oppressed, against the oppressor whilst also standing for secularism, freedom, and other basic human rights.

Resurfacing Verses

It is interesting to note that poetry from ages ago is reminisced with such fervour. Faiz’s Hum Dekhenge is a classic example of how poetry travels borders and languages, only to fight against oppression. The poem was originally written in 1979, two years after General Zia-ul-Haq’s military coup. In the Indian context, its verses are a means of criticising the Hindutva Sangh Parivar using the Hindu iconography, just like Faiz turned Zia’s religious symbolism on the Islamist military dictator’s head.

Hum Dekhenge also has a Haryanvi version now, in tribute to the farmers’ protesting for their rights.

STUDENTS AT THE FOREFRONT

Students have been at the forefront of protests since time immemorial—be it the the Independence movement or the National Emergency of 1975. While most people, including governments, say that the youth is ‘misled and disillusioned’, students have a strong defence. Nikita Kochhar, President of the Hindu Literary Society says “I think part of the reason is that when we join universities and colleges, our world opens up; we finally see beyond our bubble. We can finally see how things actually are and ask ourselves the questions, why can’t things be better? In university we also meet all kinds of people from different sections of the society, we talk to them, understand their world, and all in all become more empathetic. We’re still idealistic and hopeful and that plays into students making an effort to change their status quo and, no matter how cliché it may be, make the world a better place.”

In support of protest poetry, she says that “Every major or minor movement has poetry or stories or songs or art or something made by people. Whenever us human beings are passionate about something, we try to express it as art or as literature. What we know of our past or even our present is through art and literature. Litsocs are wonderful safe and open spaces for people to dissect, be empathetic, to read, etc. The discussion about a piece or talking about it or even merely reading it is what keeps it alive.”

Agreeably, literary spaces in educational institutions are extremely important for the reason that they provide a safe and open space for students to grow. Nikita reinforces this line of thought by adding that “Literary societies provide a platform for students and a place for genuine discourse and discussion to take place. Part of what makes student communities so special is that fact that all of us are willing to be open and are able to find people who are willing to listen. Scribe, Hindu’s LitSoc has made an effort to foster discussions about literature and art that keep the spirit of dissent and protest alive.”

THE MEDIUM MATTERS

According to renowned linguist Dr. Ganesh Devy, Hindi became a language of protest in North India in the second half of the 20th century. There was a wealth of easy-to-remember and rebellious poems which ensured stable reception. Interestingly, poet Shubham Shree maintains that Hindi, just like many other languages, has both sides to it—pro-establishment and anti-establishment. He says, “Hindi is a language that exists in government machinery. The very ideological base of it is Brahmanical. For instance, the belt where Hindi is most spoken in the country is extremely casteist.” But what gives many hope is not what the Hindi language is but it can be made to do: speak truth to power.

While Hindi, Urdu and Hindustani poetry are evidently important elements of protest poetry in India, regional languages also have the same amount of contribution to make. Protest poetry transcends the borders of language, as famously shown by Hum Dekhenge’s Kannada, Bhojpuri, Haryanvi, and Tamil versions.

Even during the Farmers’ Protests, majorly Punjabi songs and poems are used to express dissatisfaction with the new farmer laws. Two studies titled Role of Music in Farmers’ Protests: A Study, and Songs and Poems of the Farmers Protests have conclusively proven that the use of regional language (here, Punjabi) has helped amplify the cause.

Spoken Word

Varun Grover’s Kaagaz Nahi Dikhaayenge became the anti-CAA anthem in 2020. He says “poetry makes it possible to talk about difficult themes without disturbing the listener. The layer of abstract and alankaar [figure of speech] gives it a protective shield and its rhythm-rhyme gives it a mass connect. That is why, regime after regime—from Aurangzeb to the British government to Indira Gandhi’s Emergency—have tried to clamp down on artistic voices.”

Spoken word is an extremely powerful medium for expressing dissent. From Gaurav Tripathi’s Lord Ram in Court to Aranya Johar’s A Brown Girl’s Guide to Gender, spoken word in India has modernised the traditional poetry meets to bring strong opinions to the fore. To add to the intonations, and acoustics, the internet does its part. Shayoni Mitra, Assistant Professor at Columbia University, writes “Protest performance in the 21st century is designed to go viral. Bodies animate ideas, gestures fuse with words: far from being ephemeral, such performances circulate and change, making new meaning with each repetition.” One can easily apply Marshall McLuhan’s ‘medium is the message’ in this context as the virality of protest poetry is based on the intonations, gestures, the live audience gathering, the social media algorithms, the video quality, and so many other factors other than just the lyrics.

Conclusion

Anti-establishment poetry is not new in postcolonial India. What is relatively new is the brutal clampdown on voices, zero-tolerance for freedom of expression–all under the Modi regime. Ashutosh Sharma also exemplifies this in his essay titled Poetically Defiant:

Arguably, things were altogether different during the National Democratic Alliance’s previous regime under A.B. Vajpayee. Dissent was not demonised and dubbed as “anti-national”. While Prime Minister Vajpayee and the literary giant Ali Sardar Jafri shared their love for poetry, the relationship between a quintessential Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh leader and a staunch Marxist was the exact opposite of the one shared by Modi and Prasoon Joshi. - Ashutosh Sharma

The government can be seen casually misusing terms like ‘anti-national’ for artists, writers, comics, poets, journalists, actors when they defy their (government’s) ideology or actions. The government’s intolerance towards dissent is not a secret anymore and the artist community has been actively campaigning against this attitude. Poets, writers, and journalists are calling on each other to ‘write against tyranny’.

Scholars like Sumangala Damodaran have observed that most contemporary protest poetry has drawn from the anti-colonial tradition of lokshahri of Maharashtra. A need for denser literature on contemporary protest poetry is felt as the discourse seems to be concentrated only on the CAA protests and consequently Faiz and Indori’s poems. Given the socio-political scenario of the nation, and the magnitude of great literarians, there is immense scope for the same.

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