Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. iqra Khilji is young woman from ahmedabad. Trained as a lawyer and intends to practice law in ahmedabad. She writes very well about feminist issues. She has spent time in shaheen baaGh and participated in many “ehtejaaji mushaa’era” that were held all over India around Republic Day. This nazm is specifically for the protestors of shaheen baaGh recited at shaheen baaGh.
1
hum ne seka¹ garm KhuN se har shab-e-Gham² is shahr ko
hum ne kaaTa guR shahd se phir zabaanoN ke zahr ko     1.baked, warmed up 2.painful night, pain of oppression
We have warmed the cold nights of the streets of this town with our blood on every night of oppression. We have cut the poison of your words with words sweet like sugar and honey.
2
laaThiyoN ka naa raha Dar ab hamaari pasliyoN¹ meN
cheeKhte sookhe halaq² ye, sooliyoN³ par goliyoN meN     1.ribs 2.throat 3.hangman’s platform, gallows
Our ribs are no longer afraid of your clubs – this is the shout from our dry throats even from the gallows and from among bullets that you fire at us.
3
baaGh vo kaashi madina jaaN-nisaaroN¹ majnuoN² ke
sardiyoN meN haiN sulagte dil jahaaN par jugnuoN ke     1.those willing to lay down their lives, protestors 2.lovers
Several other shaheen baaGhs sprouted in India with their own “dharna”. All of them have a good degree of participation from many different communities coming together to demand justice and basic human rights. All of those ‘gardens’ are like ‘kaashi madina’ for protestors and lovers – their holy places. Even in this cold they glow with the pleasant light of jugnu.
4
qismateN is mulk ki haiN in sunahri¹ jhurriyoN² meN
inqelaabi³ ek asar⁴ hai in hamaari siskiyoN⁵ meN     1.golden in the sense of golden age 2.wrinkles 3.revolutionary 4.effect 5.sobs
A tribute to the grandmothers who were participating and in many cases leading the protest movement. They experienced the killing and mayhem during partition and then again in 2002 in the gujerat pogrom. The same pain has raised its head again. Our fate, the history of our homeland is reflected in these golden wrinkles of ours. We are so tired of the repeated oppression, so angry that even our sobs have a revolutionary effect/tinge in them.
5
tum la’eenoN¹ ki shakal² ho karbala ke taaziyoN³ meN
dus mukhoTe⁴ haiN tumhaare is das’here jhaaNkiyoN⁵ meN     1.rejected, condemned, evil 2.face 3.images/models of tombs or the martyred of karbala 4.masks, faces 5.image, recreation, re-enactment of das’hera
All the oppressed are symbolized by the martyrs of karbala. Processions bearing images/models of their tombs are taken out as mourning during moharram. The “la’een” here is the oppressor and the killer in the battle of karbala. Thus you (the government) is like the oppressor while we (the people, women of shaheed baaGh) are the oppressed. During das’hera festivities images are taken out or a re-enactment done of battle between raam and raavan (symbol of evil and oppression). Legend says that raavan had ten heads. Thus in the re-enactment of das’hera you are like raavan, the evil oppressor.
6
mai¹ hamaare hi asar² se jhilmilaati³ maikadoN⁴ meN
gul⁵ hamaare hi lahu⁶ se khil⁷ rahe haiN gulshanoN meN     1.wine 2.effect, result of effort 3.sparkles 4.tavern 5.rose, flower 6.blood 7.blossom
The maikada is a symbold of open, accepting, secular space. ‘hamaare’ here is ‘ours’ … the oppressed people and/or the protesting women. ‘mai’ is the wine of love. It is because of our work that wine sparkles in the maikada … their work strengthens the diversity and acceptance of all in India. The colour of our blood is what gives redness to the rose in the garden … our sacrifice makes India more beautiful.
7
bujh gaye jo jalte jalte, vo sitaaroN ki amaaN¹ se
dekhte haiN ab tumhaari justaju² ko kahkashaaN³ se     1.protection, refuge 2.search, struggle 3.constellation, stars
Several young people including a four year old died during shaheen baaGh protests. They (the children who died) have found refuge among the stars (in heaven) and are looking down at your struggle from the constellations in the sky.