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The Print
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Faiz's ‘Hum Dekhenge' recited at Vira Sathidar memorial event, wife Pushpa & 2 others booked
The event, held last week in memory of human rights activist Vira Sathidar, featured the recitation of 'Hum Dekhenge', a celebrated Urdu nazm that Faiz wrote in 1979 as a critique of General Zia-ul-Haq's authoritarian rule in Pakistan. The FIR was lodged on the basis of a complaint by Nagpur resident Dattatray Shirke that they recited a Pakistani poet's words 'at a time when the country valiantly fought Pakistani forces' after the Pahalgam terror attack. Mumbai: The Nagpur Police has booked social activist Pushpa Sathidar over the recital of Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poetry at a commemorative event she organised in the city for her husband, actor Vira Sathidar. Shirke's complaint, which ThePrint has seen, said, 'At a time when the country valiantly fought Pakistani forces, the radical left in Nagpur were busy singing Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poem. Through the poem it is said that we have a fascist government and 'takht hilane ki jarurat hai' (there is a need to shake up the throne), meaning the government should be changed,' the complainant said. The police have registered an FIR against Pushpa Sathidar and two others. According to the FIR copy, which also ThePrint has accessed, the complainant referred to a news report in which a speaker at the event is quoted as saying, 'Due to this song, the powers were shaken. Similarly, even in our country, it's time to shake the throne. We are going through fascist times. These times are snatching our freedom of expression.' Pushpa Sathidar has been booked under sections 152 (act that excites secession, armed rebellion, or subversive activities, or encourages separatist feelings) 196 (promoting enmity or disharmony) 353 (public mischief) and others of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. 'We received the complaint along with what sections to be included and we did so. The further investigation is going on and we will analyse whether the sections are necessary or need amending, and (based on that we) would take a further call,' inspector Rakhi Gedam of the Sitabardi police station told ThePrint. ThePrint reached Pushpa Sathidar's family lawyer Nihalsingh Rathod, but he refused to comment. The programme was organised 13 May by the Vira Sathidar Smriti Samanway Samiti in association with the Samata Kala Manch—a Mumbai-based Ambedkarite cultural collective advocating resistance through art. Vira Sathidar, a social activist, accomplished actor, writer and political thinker, died during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. Pushpa Sathidar is one of the organisers of the annual event. The Samata Kala Manch performed Faiz's poem at the event. The poem 'Hum Dekhenge' was written in 1979 by Faiz as a critique of General Zia-ul-Haq's authoritarian rule in Pakistan. The poem is used as an anthem of resistance and hope in the subcontinent. In the complaint filed 16 May, three days after the programme, Shirke alleged the performance and the accompanying speeches were inflammatory in nature. 'Samata Kala Manch is an extremist and controversial group. They even have a background of Naxalism. Just at a time when the entire country is standing behind the armed forces and opposing the terrorist attack by Pakistan in Pahalgam, here the Left extremist organisation Samata Kala Manch performed the poem written by Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz,' Shirke says in his complaint. 'Naxalite organisations such as these through such events spread the thought of overthrowing democratically elected governments. So, the Samata Kala Manch at an event organized to remember Vira Sathidar sang the poem by a Pakistani poet and spread the provocative thought to dethrone the government',' he added further. So the event threatens the unity of the country and divide the society, the complaint further said. Gedam said that the police are investigating the matter and have started taking statements of Sathidar and others. No arrests have been made so far. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: There was more to Vira Sathidar than 'Court'. He fought caste with theatre for 40 years
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Who Sang ‘Hum Dekhenge' at Veera Sathidar Memorial? Nagpur cops don't know
1 2 Nagpur: Even a week after Nagpur police invoked the stringent Section 152 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), akin to sedition under the erstwhile Indian Penal Code, against three persons for recitation of Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz 's revolutionary 'nazm', " Hum Dekhenge ", they failed to identify who sang the Urdu couplets at the event in memory of acclaimed filmmaker Veera Sathidar. Though Pushpa Sathidar, wife of the late filmmaker, was charged with endangering national sovereignty and promoting communal disharmony under Section 152 BNS, she did not recite the poem, she was only the organiser. Talking to TOI, senior inspector of Sitabuldi police station, Vitthal Singh Rajput, said, "We are trying to identify the participants of the event, including the woman from 'Samta Kala Manch' who recited Faiz's poem. We have the recording of the event, the probe is ongoing, and statements will be recorded. Those who recited the couplets and raised anti-establishment slogans are likely to have gone underground, but they will be tracked down soon. No arrests have been made yet. A woman inspector, Rakhi Gedam, is leading the probe." The memorial on May 13 under the banner of Veera Sathidar Smruti Samanvay Samiti, was co-organised by Samta Kala Manch, a Leftist cultural outfit. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Sofrendo com varizes? Faça esse truque imediatamente em casa Fim das Varizes Undo Veera Sathidar, who died of Covid in April 2021, was known for his stellar role in the film 'Court', which was India's official entry at the 2016 Academy Awards. The recitation of "Hum Dekhenge", a poem associated with resistance and protest, led to an FIR being filed at Sitabuldi police station against Pushpa Sathidar and two others under Section 152 of BNS. The complaint, lodged by right-wing activist Dattatreya Shirke, was prompted by a YouTube video of the event, which also featured a speaker praising the poem's call for an uprising against what was described as an "intolerant and tyrannical regime". The controversy reignited discussions on Faiz's 'nazm', previously linked to anti-CAA protests, and its perceived anti-establishment undertones. The event also drew attention amid surveillance on socio-cultural groups suspected of indulging in subversive activity. Pushpa Sathidar, who is continuing her husband's legacy of advocating for the oppressed, organised the memorial to honour Veera's contributions as an actor, writer, and political thinker. The event saw over 100 attendees, including members of Left organisations, and allegedly featured a speech critical of the proposed Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill. Nagpur police's inability to identify the singer a week after the FIR has raised questions about the investigation's progress, with critics pointing to broader concerns about freedom of expression and use of stringent laws like Section 152 of BNS, which replaces the colonial-era sedition law.
Hindustan Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Marathi actor's wife, two others face charges after recitation of Faiz Ahmed Faiz's ‘Hum Dekhenge'
Pushpa Sathidar, the wife of late actor and Dalit rights activist Veera Sathidar, is among three people who reportedly face charges after an attendee recited poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz's 'Hum Dekhenge' poem at a memorial event in Maharashtra's Nagpur. During a memorial programme for Veera Sathidar on May 13, a member of the Samata Kala Manch, recited verses by renowned Pakistani poet Faiz, including lines such as - 'Hum Ahl-e-Safa, Mardrid-e-Haram, Masnad Pe Bithae Jayenge, Sab Taj Uchhale Jayenge, Sab Takht Giraye Jayenge, Hum Dekhenge' - which call for resistance against authoritarianism, according to PTI news agency. Also Read: Who is Nitasha Kaul, Indian-origin professor to lose OCI status for 'anti-India' activity? The video went viral on social media and was aired on Marathi news channels as well. According to a complainant Dattatraya Shirke cited by PTI, the remarks were inflammatory and disturbed communal harmony. An FIR was filed against the organisers and the person who recited the poem on basis of the complaint lodged by Dattatraya Shirke. Also Read: Pune engg student held for 'supporting Pak' on social media The speaker allegedly said during the recitation, 'Jo song ke medium se ye satta hila thi, usi tarah se hamare desh mein bhi takht hilane ki pratha hai. Aaj hum jis daur mein ji rahe hain, ye daur fasciswad ka hai. Ye daur tanasahi ka hai'. An FIR was registered at the Sitabuldi police station against Pushpa Sathidar and two others associated with the memorial programme under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 152 (endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India), 196 (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 353 (statements conducing to public mischief) and 3 (5), which concerns common intention. Also Read: NIA, IB grill arrested YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, focus on Pak, China visits According to Shirke, the speech and recitation of the poem, equated India's government with fascist regimes and also called for political upheaval. The police have launched a probe into the event, collecting digital video evidence of the event and recording statements of those who had attended the memorial programme. "We are examining all available footage, witness testimonies and documents. The process of recording statements is crucial to determining individual roles and verifying the allegations," an officer told PTI. Police said they were also looking into the activities and background of the Samata Kala Manch, whose head, Sudhir Dhawale, is currently out on bail in connection with another case related to alleged inflammatory speeches made during the Elgar Parishad event in Pune in 2017.
Hindustan Times
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Wife of late activist Vira Sathidar booked over alleged inflammatory remarks
NAGPUR: The Sitabuldi police in Nagpur on Saturday registered a case against Pushpa Sathidar, 51, social activist and widow of the late actor and human rights campaigner Vira Sathidar, for allegedly making provocative statements during a memorial programme held in central Nagpur. The controversy stems from the performance of Hum Dekhenge, a celebrated Urdu nazm by Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz, and subsequent remarks made during the event. Organised by the Vira Sathidar Smriti Samanway Samiti in association with Samata Kala Manch—an Ambedkarite cultural collective advocating resistance through art—the programme took place at a hall near Jhansi Rani Square in Sitabuldi. According to the police, the FIR was lodged following a complaint by Datta Shirke, a right-wing activist, who alleged that the performance and accompanying speeches contained inflammatory content. He cited references to 'fascist times' and exhortations to 'shake the throne' as potentially disruptive to public harmony, especially in the wake of recent Indo-Pak tensions and the Pahalgam terror attack. A video recording of the event was submitted as evidence. Written in 1979 by Faiz as a critique of General Zia-ul-Haq's authoritarian rule in Pakistan, Hum Dekhenge rose to iconic status after being famously sung by Iqbal Bano in 1986. The poem has since resonated across borders as an anthem of resistance and hope. Pushpa Sathidar, a long-time activist, is known for her work in grassroots movements. Her late husband, Vira Sathidar, gained national recognition for his portrayal of a protest singer in Chaitanya Tamhane's critically acclaimed film Court (2014), which was India's official entry to the Academy Awards and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. Until his death due to COVID-19, Sathidar remained a vocal critic of systemic inequality and state repression. Confirming the development, Sitabuldi police inspector Vitthalsing Rajput said an FIR has been filed under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including section 152 (endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India), section 196 (promoting enmity between groups), section 353 (statements conducive to public mischief), and section 3(5) (common intention). 'We have acted on a formal complaint. The matter is under investigation and further action will be based on the evidence collected,' Rajput said. HT reached out to Pushpa Sathidar but she was unavailable for comment till the time of going to the press. Police have also begun examining the background of Samata Kala Manch. Its founder, Sudhir Dhawale, a prominent human rights activist, was previously arrested in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon case and is currently out on bail.
