photo : Poojan Sahil<\/p>\n
In 2019, the song Hum Dekhenge<\/em> (we shall see<\/em>) written in 1986 by the Pakistani poet Faiz became the veritable anthem of the protests against the discriminatory citizenship laws in India. This iconic song has a history of rattling the authoritarian regimes in adversarial countries \u2013 India and Pakistan. <\/strong><\/p>\n The poem was written during General Zia-ul-Haq\u2019s oppressive martial law regime. Faiz duped the regime with his use of Islamic imagery to attack the dictatorship. Iqbal Bano, Pakistani singer, wore a saree, banned by Pakistani Government, opened her concerts with Hum Dekhenge<\/em>. The 50,000-strong crowd joining her in unison made the song a symbol of defying oppressive governments. Faiz might have written the words but it was Iqbal Bano who made them the potent symbol of protest they are to date. The song remains just as effective, evocative and powerful in India today as it did in 1986 Pakistan.<\/span><\/p>\n The Citizenship Amendment Act was a move to set religion as a basis of citizenship through immigration in India and was seen to be against the secular and constitutional values of the country. This led to nationwide protests and many students joined the movement. The authoritarian way in which the government tried to repress the agitation and use of brute force on students was countered by the stoic resistance and the courageous defiance in the form of Hum Dekhenge<\/em>. <\/span><\/p>\n Hum Dekhenge <\/em>: Faiz\u2019s Iconic Song Defines The Anti-CAA Protests<\/strong><\/p>\n