Students of New Delhi’s Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), have grabbed the attention of thousands of internet users for singing Pakistani Marxist poet and author Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s iconic poem ‘Hum Dekheinge’.
According to journalist Pervaiz Alam, the recitation came after he asked the students to sing a song for him while conducting a media workshop.
“I asked students to sing a song for me and they chose Hum Dekhenge by Faiz as I conducted a media workshop at the IIMC in New Delhi on 21 Nov. Meet the vibrant students of Indian Institute of Mass Communication [sic],” he tweeted while sharing the video.
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‘HUM DEKHEINGE’:
The popular revolutionary poem was written by Faiz in 1979 when he was in Honolulu for a writers’ conference. The poem was included in Faiz’s seventh poetry book titled “Mere Dil Mere Musafir” in 1981 and is known for its rendition by singer Iqbal Bano.
The poem’s beginning deals with conventional themes such as injustice and oppression, then gives way to more overtly religious symbolism. Faiz writes that the idols will be lifted from the Kabah and goes on to describe a revolutionary inversion of power, where the pure-hearted, who were outlawed, or cast out, will be honoured.
The crowns (of those in power) will be thrown up in the air (alluding to a celebration) and their thrones will be cast low. The final stanza of the poem is the most religious in tone, declaring that the only name (essentially on people’s lips) will that be of Allah and a great revolutionary cry of “I am Truth” will go up and people of faith will rule again.
In recent times, the poem has become an anthem for rights activitsts taking to streets across the Indian subcontinent.
