Many of
us have listened to this iconic ghazal sung so soulfully by Jagjit Singh. But
did you know that this masterpiece, which begins with love and beauty,
seamlessly transforms into a powerful anthem of rebellion and patriotism?
It was
written by Maulana Hasrat Mohani—the visionary freedom fighter and Urdu poet
who, in 1921, coined the historic slogan "Inquilab Zindabad!"
(later immortalized by Shaheed Bhagat Singh).
Recently
at Jantar Mantar, when young citizens raised their voices against systemic
failures and paper leaks, they were dismissed as mere 'pests.' In response,
they formed the 'Cockroach Janta Party' and filled the streets with chants of
"Inquilab Zindabad!"
The
concluding couplet of Hasrat Mohani's ghazal mirrors today's reality with
incredible precision:
"Achchha
hai ahl-e-jaur (tyrants) kiye jaaen saxtiyan, Phailegi yun hi shorish-e-hubb-e-watan (wave of
patriotism) tamam."
(It is
well that the oppressors continue their tyrannies; for this will only spread
the wave of patriotism everywhere.)
It stands
as a timeless reminder: state suppression never crushes a genuine movement.
Oppression only swells the tide of awareness and resistance.
Listen to the ghazal by Jagjit Singh here
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