Latest news with #AamirAziz
The Hindu
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Aamir Aziz-Anita Dube controversy: What does the copyright law say?
In a controversy that seems to have divided the art world in India, Mumbai-based poet-activist Aamir Aziz has accused well known artist Anita Dube of using his poem without his consent, and profiting from it without giving him credit or compensation. The poem in question is 'Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega', which became an anthem of the anti-CAA protests and later a global phenomenon after English rock musician Roger Waters read it out at an event in London. While Dube has admitted to an 'ethical lapse' and reportedly offered some remuneration to Aziz, the dispute has acquired a legal dimension, with Aziz sending her a legal notice. What does the copyright law say in a case like this – where an artist may feel she has the right to 'fair use' of a text, but another artist feels that his copyright has been violated? Guest: Shantanu Sood, a lawyer who specialises in intellectual property-related issues. Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu Recorded by Aniket Singh Chauhan Edited by Shivaraj S Produced by Jude Francis Weston Listen to more In Focus podcasts:
Indian Express
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
7 protest anthems that have rocked the world: From ‘Hum Dekhenge' to ‘Bella Ciao'
Protests have always had their soundtrack. These songs often define the struggle they accompany. From Mumbai to Kolkata, Bangladesh to South Korea and across Europe, protest anthems continue to ignite movements and rally the masses. Here's a list of protest anthems that have made an indelible mark in recent memory: 1. 'Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega' – Aamir Aziz Emerging during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests, Aamir Aziz's powerful poem became an emblem of resistance. The words—' Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega ' (nothing will be forgotten) —were recited during numerous rallies, capturing the anguish and anger of those opposing the law. Aziz's work gained international attention when English musician Roger Waters read it aloud at a 2020 event in London. Now, the song is back in headlines with Aziz accusing artist Anita Dube of using his words unethically in her 2023 and 2025 exhibitions. 2. 'We Shall Overcome' – The Anthem of Solidarity An anthem born in the American Civil Rights Movement, 'We Shall Overcome' transcended borders and became a global protest anthem. In India, its Hindi adaptation, ' Hum Honge Kaamyab,' resonated with student movements in the 1970s and 1980s, symbolizing hope and resilience. From Bengali liberation struggles to Kerala's Communist movement, the song has evolved into a universal cry for freedom. In popular culture, it continues to symbolise collective resistance, also seen in Bollywood's My Name is Khan, where it bridged the struggles of Muslims in the US and India. 3. 'Hum Dekhenge' – Faiz Ahmed Faiz Written by the Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz in 1979, 'Hum Dekhenge' has evolved into a subcontinental anthem of defiance. The poem's iconic lines, 'We shall see,' became a battle cry against oppressive regimes. In India, it gained new life during the CAA protests, filling the streets with an unmistakable call for justice. Most famously, it reverberated through the airwaves during the protests at IIT Kanpur in 2023, where its powerful imagery unsettled the powerful once again. 4. 'Ar Kobe' – Arijit Singh In Kolkata, music has long been a vehicle for resistance. During the RG Kar protests, ' Ar Kobe ' by Arijit Singh captured the emotional turmoil of a city grappling with injustice. With its melancholic melody, the song became a soundtrack to the unrest, blending personal sorrow with collective outrage. It became a rallying cry for justice, accompanied by performances from iconic figures like Usha Uthup, whose rendition of ' Jaago Re' urged Kolkata to wake up to the injustices around them. 5. 'Kotha Ko' – Shezan In 2024, Bangladesh was alive with protest, and music played a key role in energising the streets. ' Kotha Ko' (Speak up), a powerful anthem by Shezan, called on citizens to 'speak up' and resist the oppression of the Sheikh Hasina regime. Drawing inspiration from the 1952 language movement, the song resonated with the nation's fight for linguistic and political rights. Alongside folk anthems such as ' Desh ta tomar baaper naki' (Does the country belong to your father?) and Mausumi's ' Awaaz Utha' (Raise your voice), the music fueled mass mobilisation, reminding everyone that when freedom is stifled, its people will sing louder. 6. 'Into the New World' – Girls' Generation K-Pop is not just for entertainment, it's also a tool of resistance. In December 2024, South Korean youth took to the streets to protest President Yoon Suk Yeol's controversial policies, with ' Into the New World' by Girls' Generation becoming their anthem. Armed with light sticks and placards, young demonstrators blended political defiance with pop euphoria, turning the streets of Seoul into a dance floor of resistance. K-pop fans have long used their cultural movement to amplify protests, repurposing the genre into a powerful form of activism. 7. 'Bella Ciao' – The global anthem of resistance Originating as a folk song sung by Italian rice workers in the late 19th century, ' Bella Ciao' evolved into a resistance anthem during World War II. Over time, its haunting melody and defiant message have crossed borders, becoming a rallying cry for movements fighting fascism, oppression, and inequality. From Catalan independence to Poland's abortion rights protests, Bella Ciao's resurgence proves its timeless appeal. The song saw a revival in France's 2024 elections, remixed as B(ard)ella Ciao. Several modified iterations of the song were also heard during the RG Kar protest and the farmers' agitation.
Mint
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Mumbai poet Aamir Aziz accuses Anita Dube of ‘theft;' claims she ‘renamed, rebranded, resold' his anti-CAA poem
Aamir Aziz, a poet who gained prominence in 2019, and is known for his 'Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega' anti-CAA poem, recently accused artist Anita Dube of taking the same poem and turning into her 'art.' Accusing Anita Dube of 'theft', Aamir Aziz claimed his poem was 'written in velvet cloth, another carved in wood, hung inside a commercial white cube space, renamed, rebranded, and resold.' Aamir Aziz had published the poem on his YouTube channel in January 2020 during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens protests, which gained immense prominence. Later in 2020, Pink Floyd's Roger Waters had also recited an English translation of Aamir Aziz's poem during a London event. As per his series of latest posts on X, Aamir Aziz came to know of the incident after a friend of his saw Aamir's words stitched into a work on display at Vadehra Art Gallery in Delhi and informed him. Aamir Aziz claimed Anita Dube 'stole' his poemaa Earlier, the Vadehra Art Gallery had also shared a video on their Instagram account, of Anita Dube speaking about her artwork 'After Dr. Ambedkar'. Aziz has reportedly requested equal compensation for works incorporating text from his poem, and the issue is currently being discussed by the legal representatives of both parties. On April 20, just a day after Anita Dube's solo exhibition concluded, Aziz took to X to share a series of posts. 'My poem Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega has been used without my knowledge, consent, credit, or compensation by the internationally celebrated artist Anita Dube,' he wrote. Vadehra Art Gallery, in its latest statement, stated that following the controversy, the Gallery immediately 'ensured that the works Aamir Aziz has concerns with were not offered for sale.' Vadehra Art Gallery's statement Aamir Aziz further claimed that Anita Dube had been using his poem for years. He stated that Dube had used the poem in a 2023 exhibition titled Of Mimicry, Mimesis and Masquerade, curated by Arshiya Lokhandwala, and then again used it in the India Art Fair 2025. In 2020, a video of Pink Floyd's Roger Waters reciting an English translation of Indian poet-musician Aamir Aziz's 'Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega' went viral. Filmed at a London event calling for the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Waters introduced Aziz as a young poet from Delhi involved in protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and what he described as the 'fascist and racist Citizenship law.' Anita Dube is yet to comment about Aamir Aziz's claims. First Published: 21 Apr 2025, 09:34 PM IST
Indian Express
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Poet Aamir Aziz alleges unauthorised use of his poem by artist Anita Dube
Mumbai-based poet Aamir Aziz has alleged that artist Anita Dube used lines from his poem Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega for her art without his 'knowledge, consent, credit, or compensation'. 'This is outright cultural extraction and plunder — stripping authors of autonomy while profiting off their voices, especially those from marginalised backgrounds. Their work is used without their knowledge, precisely so they can be excluded from the wealth produced through it,' wrote Aziz in a social media post on Sunday. He noted that he became aware of the use of his work on March 18, when a friend informed him about the pieces displayed at the Dube exhibition's 'Three Storey House' at the Vadehra Art Gallery in Delhi. 'This is my poem, written in velvet cloth, another carved in wood, hung inside a commercial white cube space, renamed, rebranded, and resold at an enormous price without ever telling me,' wrote Aziz, who also shared photographs of the works. He added, 'When I confronted her, she made it seem normal like lifting a living poet's work, branding it into her own, and selling it in elite galleries for lakhs of rupees was normal.' An alumnus of Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia, the singer-songwriter has written popular poems and songs of dissent, such as Achche Din Blues and The Ballad of Pehlu Khan. His poem Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega gained prominence during the anti-CAA protests in Delhi. Pink Floyd's co-founder and guitarist Roger Waters also recited the poem during a protest in London in 2020. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aamir Aziz (@ In his post, Aziz noted, 'I have sent legal notices. Demanded answers. Asked for accountability. In return: silence, half-truths, and insulting offers. I asked them to take the work down. They refused. The exhibition at Vadehra Art Gallery is now extended till 26th of April.' While Dube was not available for comment, Vadehra Art Gallery issued a statement on social media. It states: 'We have been in touch with Aamir Aziz and his legal representatives for over a month. This is a situation that we have taken very seriously. We immediately ensured that the works Aamir Aziz has concerns with were not offered for sale. We hope that the discussions that are ongoing between Aamir Aziz and Anita Dube can be resolved in an amicable and constructive manner.' A note on the exhibition issued previously by the gallery stated: 'This exhibition presents a diverse body of recent works, reflecting her (Dube's) ongoing concerns as an artist— politics, pedagogy, pleasure, and personal experiences — the latter particularly during the long-tail of the COVID-19 experience.' Known to engage with the socio-political environment through her art that often questions hierarchies, Dube has exhibited at prestigious venues and events the world over and was also the curator of the fourth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2018-19. In his post, Aziz also alleged that Dube has used his poem for her work in the past as well. 'I discovered she had been using my poem for years — including in a 2023 exhibition titled Of Mimicry, Mimesis and Masquerade, curated by Arshiya Lokhandwala and then again displayed in the India art fair 2025.' Aziz added: 'It's shameful how far she's gone and how far her gallery is willing to go just to dodge a simple truth: that Anita Dube built her art on a living poet's words, and they both refuse to acknowledge or compensate him.' In its post, Vadehra Art Gallery added: 'We remain committed to all artists and their creative expressions, and for building respectful dialogue across the art community.'
