I Protest - Music and the masses
Protest through music can have a profound impact, as it allows artists to communicate deep feelings of frustration as well as raise awareness, or even stir mobilisation by creating anthems for social causes. India has witnessed a surge of politically charged music as a response to the censorship and suppression of voices by the Modi government. This is not a new phenomenon - Indian societies have historically used literature and art to express their beliefs and frustrations with the state of politics throughout the struggle against colonialism, and now against a near-authoritarian government. From Bengal to Kashmir, music has been used as a way to present to the masses of the world the realities of those living in fear of their future.
Colonial Indian music, for example, was aimed at excavating and delivering (or re-delivering) traditional regional music to the masses as a way to protest the erasure of regional identities and their cultures. Most significantly, the national anthem of India comes from protest prose; the legendary musician and poet Rabhindhranath Thakur composed a poem - Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata - which was recited in 1911 to the Indian National Congress pre-independence. The first stance - Jana Gana Mana - became the title of the National Anthem post-independence. Protest music, however, is not limited to the colonial era; artists from Bengal came together before April elections in 2021 to release a song ‘Nijeder Mawte Nijder Gaan’- translating to “Our Song From Our Point of View”. Written by the actor Anirban Bhattacharya and supported by prominent personalities such as Anupam Rao, the track presented protest against the issues plaguing contemporary Bengali society - fuel prices, farmers strikes, and demonetisation.
AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan
Even one of the world’s most militarised zones - Kashmir - is not untouched by political, angry music. Rightfully so. Kashmiri protest music has used Hip Hop to communicate fears and anger surrounding civil unrests and the historic volatility of the region. MC Kash was one of the first rappers on the scene, with the track I Protest, Kash achieved widespread popularity in the region and released songs in collaboration with other big voices such as SXR and Haze Kay. A lack of resources and governmental intimidation meant that Kash was unable to continue his legacy. 2019, however, saw the resurgence of this style of music, with artists such as SOS - Straight Outta Srinagar - and Ahmer Javid painting graphic yet eloquent images of daily struggles for civilians caught in the crossfire of political corruption and brutality. Ahmer’s 2019 record Little Kid, Big Dreams delves into the nuances of corruption, with lyrics such as “Bha Kasheer, azad miyen soch//Haan miyon ghumgeen, topath bekhouf // Azaab bha chon zabaan yi touf // Sazai maut balaai yi soch” - I am Kashmir, set my thoughts free, My condition is getting worse, still I’m not scared, Your force cannot break me because I’m the truth, a weapon, Turning into the face of death, for all these culprits. Decades of violence and suffering has provided a strong context for heart wrenching and cinematic song-making.
Music has and will always be one of the key ways to spread calls for change across any society. With the resurgence of hindu nationalism and censorship in one of the biggest democracies of the world, protest music has only become stronger. Widespread corruption and abuse of authority cannot stop artists from one of the most culturally rich countries from making art that not only speaks to those on ground zero but also screams out for support across the globe.
