A performance of a poem at the Faiz International Festival in 2019 has gone viral on social media.
The poem, ‘Sarfarsohi Ki Tamanna’ by Bismil Azimabadi was performed by a woman to a charged audience and has been posted multiple times on Twitter. The words are patriotic, written by Azimabadi in 1921 as a war cry for freedom during the British Raj.
The poem started trending on social media with the hastag #StudentSolidarityMarch, with students and activists mobilizing people to join the student march on November 29th.
But not everyone was moved by the performance – or the people supporting its cause.
Activist Gulalai Ismail, who fled the country first tweeted that “Cool log hain yar! Bas entertainment tak Mehdood kar dia hai inqilab ko,” and then deleted her tweet, clarifying that:
Others also called the students “maraasis” and were defended.
From maarasis to entertainment, the protesters were also seen as being elitist.
Which led activist Ammar Ali Jan to tweet out in support for the students.
For the older generation of activists, it was a reminder of their old and golden days. Senior Journalist Iftikhar Ahmad remembered protesting on the streets of Mall Road, Lahore.
The Student Solidarity March is being held on November 29th.
Follow The Current for its coverage of the events leading up to the Student Solidarity March, their demands and the March itself.
