Whether done under the camouflage of a governmental policy, a fiery religious speech, or mob lynching humanity, the need of the hour calls for a wrong act to not only be condemned but for it to serve as word of caution for others. Lately, national dailies carry brave voices of dissent, stifled and published in blood red ink. You cannot use guns to silence the cries of people with pens. A death of one will give rise to a thousand. Right words seem to be full of thorns but it’s in their cradle that you find new born voices. Voices rising as a chorus from all four directions can not only destroy the pillars of injustice, but they have the power to seep into the very foundation and shake these unflinching monoliths.
This is an artwork inspired by Fiaz Ahmed Faiz’s nazm ‘Bol’ and is dedicated to all the mothers fighting for their rights.
Ghalat kaam chahe sarkaari policy ki shakal main ho, kiss mazhabibaag ugalti taqreer main, ya bheed ban kar insaaniyat qatl karne main, waqt ki maang rahi hai ki usse theek tareeqe se na sirf roka Jaye, balke doosron ko bhi baidaar kiya jaaye. Haal filhaal main yeh dekha gaya hai ki jab jab kisi ne naye haq ki aawaz uthaayi hai, woh akhbaaron ki surkhi ban kar chhap gaya hai. Qalam chalane vaale ke qalam ko goli chalane see khatm nahi kiya ja sakta hai, na jaane yeh baat kab samajh main aayegi. Arrey ek gira, hazaar uthenge. Sahi alfaaz kaanton se bhare lagte hain, magar unhi kaanton main nanhe nanhe bolte phool khil uthte hain. Chaaron simton senaati awaazein naainsaafi ki imaarat todti nahi hain, balke unki neev main utarti hain aur bade see bade mahal dhasna shuru hojaate hain. Yeh kalakriti Faiz Sahab ke nazm 'Bol' ke liye kiya gaya hai aur haq ki ladai lad rahi maaon ke naam supurd hai.