STREET PROTESTS: POETRY IN THE TIMES OF LYNCHING

Delhi-based girls protest against social issues including lynching in a poetic way

It’s believed that poetry has a resuscitating power that can alter the world. But can a few powerful verses empower the conscience of the masses? Two 23-year-old girls from Delhi, Sabika Abbas Naqvi and Anannya Chatterjee believe that verses, if taken to the streets can make people aware about social issues including mob lynching.

Naqvi, who is gender rights activist and founder of Sar-eRahguzar: Poetry on the Streets, writes poems on social issues such as racism, communalism and hatred. She says, “Iss zulm mein jo khamosh rahe, Zaalim bhi wahi, qatil bhi wahi. (Those who stay silent in these times of violence are oppressors and killers too).”

“The poetic protest against mob lynching is a part of my movement, Sar-e-Rahguzar. Many people asked me to present my writing to the public and therefore I took them to the streets. Apart from Delhi, we also performed on the streets of Bangalore and Lucknow,” adds Naqvi, who is a graduate of Delhi University’s Lady Shri Ram College for Women.

Naqvi recites her verses aloud and artists portray them through their art forms. She recently performed with Chatterjee, a Bharatanatyam dancer, at a protest in Connaught Place.

Chatterjee, who is currently pursuing her master’s in gender studies from Ambedkar University, says, “I agreed to perform with Naqvi when we met during #NotInMyName protest. I feel art is a medium of communication but somehow it remains aloof from politics. It is considered elitist, but I want to take it to the common people.”

She adds, “The recent cases, especially Junaid’s lynching disturbed me to the core. It is happening out of hatred and I just can’t be a mere on-looker and therefore I agreed to be a part of this protest.”