Blog
Poetry in Social Movements: Words That Inspire Change
Poetry in Social Movements: Words That Inspire Change :-
Poetry is a form of words which are conveyed in a literature form which is written in rhythm and rhyme. The role of poetry in social movements Poetry captures emotions such as love, anger, fear. But in early India poetry was not only used to express their heart but poets used it as a weapon against colonizers fighting for independence. These people who help to motivate and unite people to fight for their country. In this blog we talk about the poets who wrote such inspirational poems for the freedom fighters to fight for their independence reaching across people of various cultures and languages. These poems also played a big role in shaping Indian social and political movements.
1. Poetry as a Tool of Resistance
Poetry in Social Movements: Words That Inspire Change NEELAM PUBLICATION
During colonial rule writers were not allowed to write poems which inspire and motivate the people of India and freedom fighters. If the writer writes a poem which criticizes the colonizers which leads to punishment for the Indian freedom writers. The poems were written by the poets to ignite the courage within people to fight off the colonizers. The poems which a form of art was used as a weapon by the writers
One of the famous poems written by Ram Prasad Bismil’s “Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna” inspired freedom fighters to sacrifice their lives for freedom. The poem also ignites the passion in people to fight and sacrifice their life for their country. Even today the poem is read and sung on independence and republic which symbolizes the sacrifice and resistance of the fighters for freedom.
A similar type of poem was written by Subramania Bharati’s from south India. These Tamil poems say “Achamillai, Achamillai” which translates to “I fear nothing” the poet says to the people to awaken their fearlessness to save their land and culture boldly without any fear in their eyes.
2. Building Unity and Nationalism
Poetry in Social Movements: Words That Inspire Change NEELAM PUBLICATION
During the freedom struggle Poets often used their poems to unite people beyond caste, class, and region. They taught people that they have to fight together to get freedom and not to divide on the basis of caste and religion but to unite as one country to get freedom. Poets like Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay who wrote a Bengali poem called “Vande Mataram” which says that their country is like their mother and they have to protect it.
By the time this poem was sung in rallies and protests till now the poem is sung by people of this country.
To protest against the rules of colonizers Kazi Nazrul Islam’s wrote a poem “Bidrohi” which symbolized fearlessness and resistance against control, which inspired both Hindus and Muslims during the to fight in unity during the independence struggle.
3. Preserving Cultural Identity
Poetry in Social Movements: Words That Inspire Change NEELAM PUBLICATION
Poetries were used to express each tradition and culture and poets used this opportunity to write poems expressing their own culture as colonizers often try to impose their culture and diminish the Indian culture. These poems played an important role in binding people to their own culture, language and roots to protect it from being oppressed. Rabindranath Tagore who wrote a poem “Where the Mind is Without Fear”, which emphasized freedom of thought and dignity, Tagore reminded people that freedom is not only about removing colonizers from our country but to remember our roots.
4. Contemporary Protest Poetry
Poetry in Social Movements: Words That Inspire Change NEELAM PUBLICATION
Protests poems were not only about the freedom fight but they were also used in politics against injustice and inequality toward the citizens of the country. Poets used their words as fuel to fire people’s courage.
During the anti-CAA Shaheen Bagh protests, poets like Aamir Aziz’s “Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega” and Faiz’s “Hum Dekhenge” sung the determination and pain of the people due to inequality in citizens.
Similarly during the Farmers’ Protest (2020–21), in Punjabi poetry and folk songs from Punjab and Haryana were played and sung by the people to celebrate the struggle and determination towards their farming rights which helped to give momentum to the protests.
5. Emotional Mobilization
Poetry in Social Movements: Words That Inspire Change NEELAM PUBLICATION
Speech is often spoken in a logical way but poetries touches the hearts of people through their words. Poems carry the emotions with them and deliver them correctly to the reader or listener. Poem turns individual suffering into collective voice. Poems have the power to unite people to fight without one’s fear. It’s like a fuel to fire which helps to ignite people’s voice against injustice and inequality. Poetries were also used to highlight issues against caste inequality, women’s rights.
Poetry in Social Movements: Words That Inspire Change
From the days of freedom poetry has shown us that words can also be and take the form of a weapon against injustice in protests. In olden these poems were used to unite people to fight by the poets in various forms. Writing a poem does not have any rules and regulations. Their poems were written in various languages, written about different cultures and traditions to keep them alive. This does not stop here as long as there is injustice, poems will be used as weapons to fight them whether it is about politics or dignity or inequality in people.
Poetry will walk alongside the Protesters to gain equality. As these poems were used to voice the injustice of the people, publications like NEELAM PUBLICATION are working hard to keep these voices alive by giving new writers and poets a chance to publish their books and to spread their voice worldwide for the people who are needed and to be understood. For further information visit :- https://neelampublication.com/