Ishq, siyasat aur awam… through the prism of two women literary stalwarts – Amrita Pritam and Fahmida Riaz – strong voices of love, desire and resilience..
When Gen. Zia-ul-Haq’s regime found the poetry and political activism of Fahmida Riaz intolerable, she fled the country and took political asylum in India. It was Amrita Pritam who went to the then Prime Minister of India, Mrs Indira Gandhi and secured shelter and safety for her friend and contemporary poet from Pakistan.
The relationship between these two amazing women of South Asia does not start or end with this story of asylum. Remember when Amrita Pritam said, “Jaha bhi azad ruh ki Jhalak pade, Samajhna waha mera ghar hai”(Wherever you find a glimpse of a free spirit; that’s where you will find me) or remember when Fahmida Riaz said, “Vaheeñ ki ek musaafir maiñ bhi, Anjaane ka shauq baḌa hai Par tum mere saath na hoge tab tak” (I too am a traveller to that place, Desirous of reaching the unknown But by then, you won’t be with me).
Amrita Pritam and Fahmida Riaz are often categorized as revolutionary, resilient, courageous, challenging society and patriarchy, etc. We might often forget that one of the seeds of the revolutionary thought process is radical love. Both the writers tirelessly provided the strength for themselves and others to imagine, if not fulfil, relationships of people beyond boundaries, beyond norms of society, state and religion. They relentlessly contested norms and lived by their convictions. Just like the two lines of poetry mentioned above, their life, writings, politics and choice of themes, all were intricately webbed powerfully.
In more than one way, their love and respect for each other personified the India-Pakistan people’s bonding. They stood on either side of the border with open arms and open hearts, not judging the other from the prism of religion, politics or nationalism!
A few years down the lane, on 8 March 2014, against the backdrop of rising concerns over intolerance in India, Riaz recited her poem ‘Tum bilkul hum jaisey nikley’ at a seminar called ‘Hum Gunahgaar Auratein’. The poem compared the rising Hindutva in India and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Pakistan during Zia-ul-Haq’s regime.
It was Fahmida who also said that “one should be totally sincere in one’s art, and uncompromising. There is something sacred about art that cannot take violation…” These lines epitomises both these courageous South Asian women, who stood out and spoke their heart and art. Love, desire, democracy, passion, resistance – they dealt with their times like prophets amidst lost peoples.
Pakistan India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy in collaboration with Jawahar Bhawan and South Asian Solidarity Collective present an evening of guftagu; poetry and music wrapped in the aura of many artists. We take the liberty to do this in honour of and through the prism of Amrita and Fahmida, who instigated love and politics.
After all, it was Faiz Saab who advised the people of Pakistan and India:
halqa kiye baiThe raho ik sham.a ko yaaro; kuchh raushnī baaqī to hai har-chand ki kam hai
[Friends, keep sitting in a circle around the candle; though limited at least some light is visible]
After all, it was Faiz Saab who advised the people of Pakistan and India:
halqa kiye baiThe raho ik sham.a ko yaaro; kuchh raushnī baaqī to hai har-chand ki kam hai
[Friends, keep sitting in a circle around the candle; though limited at least some light is visible]
Speakers:
- Nazm on ishq, siyasat aur awam by Ankush Gupta ‘Siraj’, Poet and Writer from India
- Hum Jaise by Subodh Lal, writer from India
- Amrita pritam ek khudmukhtar aurat by Atiya Dawood, writer and poet from Pakistan
- Fahmida aur jaddo-jahad by Meera Rizvi, artist from India
- Voices of two revolutionaries resonates even today by Onaiza Drabu,co-founder of Daak vaak from Kashmir
- ‘Amrita de naam’ poetic expression by Navsharan Singh, writer and activist from India
- Amrita ek dharti by Muddasir Bashir, writer from Pakistan
- Do mulkon ki mausiqui by Rene singh, artist from India
- Paigham-e-ishq tarannum mein by Ananyaa Gaur, artist from India