The language of protest

Pagdi Sambhal Jatta Pagdi Sambhal,  one of my favourite songs, is a song which has come to symbolize the spirit of our most loved revolutionary youth, whose birthday happens to fall this month. But this song is unfortunately restricted to a mere spectacle of Bhangda dance and patriotic fervor. Why I am so much concerned with it, is due to the fact that it also forms one of the earliest ways of protest this country has seen. It was supposedly performed by Bhagat Singh and his comrades in a college function in front of British guests, to bring into light the exploitation of Indian society and culture by the British, which wounded its self-respect.

Almost 80 years later we are left with violence accompanying most of the protests. The recent incidents at FTII Pune, and painting exhibition in Ahmedabad are mere bricks in the wall, which inhibits us from extending our desire for a tolerant democratic country to each and every section of the society. The very recent attack at a Film Festival in Hyderebad, is nothing more than a clear show of lawlessness that prevails in the country. 

Those who are engaged in violent protests against a film screening or songs sung, by the so called ignored or forgotten sections of the country, what exactly they wish to communicate? Are they making it clear that they don’t have any space for those in their imagination of the nation?
Aloysius correctly writes India is a case of nationalism without a nation.

I was quite disturbed by the right wing assault over the exhibition in Ahmedabad put up by Pakistani artists. Are we against art, or are we against Pakistan, it is time when we clear this mist. Because if we are against art we are in trouble, and if we are against Pakistan, we ought to ponder where does art come in between. Why is it so that we continue to import sugar from Pakistan but reject their artists a decent place here?  Let us learn doing things the right way.

As I write this, I am cut short by the news of the uneasiness caused by the supposed Zubin Mehta concert in Kashmir. We have those who are against it, but are in fact projecting Kashmir as a mere place marred by conflicts, then there are those who are opposing it, because it is a state sponsored project for a limited audience, whereas we actually need to improve the overall condition of the Kashmiri culture and society. I am still doubtful that what form is it going to take, would violence take place of music and art, and more violence in its response is going to characterize the Indian landscape.

How is it that we are going to find a parallel way of expressing our discontent, because even after having a glorious past of knowledge, art and science and 60 years of democracy we still fall short of inventing the ‘language of protest’.