NEW DELHI: Since a basic voluntary action by local women of Shaheen Bagh fired India’s imagination the protest has steadily grown over the past weeks into the fulcrum of a nationwide movement against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Even as the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership made it pivotal to its harsh election campaign for the Delhi elections, and amidst targeting and threats , the support for the peaceful protestors grew with the rickety stage resonating with some of the biggest names in the music industry.

Shubhda Mudgal enthralled all with her beautiful rendering of Habib Jalib’s Dastur.
Main nahin janta, main nahin manta...

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Dastoor

 

The light which shines only in palaces
Burns up the joy of the people in the shadows
Derives its strength from others’ weakness
That kind of system,
like dawn without light
I refuse to acknowledge,
I refuse to accept

I am not afraid of execution,
Tell the world that I am the martyr
How can you frighten me with prison walls?
This overhanging doom,
this night of ignorance,
I refuse to acknowledge,
I refuse to accept

“Flowers are budding on branches”, that’s what you say,
“Every cup overflows”, that’s what you say,
“Wounds are healing themselves”, that’s what you say,
These bare-faces lies,
this insult to the intelligence,
I refuse to acknowledge,
I refuse to accept

For centuries you have all stolen our peace of mind
But your power over us is coming to an end
Why do you pretend you can cure pain?
Even if some claim that you’ve healed them,
I refuse to acknowledge,
I refuse to accept.

On election eve musicians descended on Shaheen Bagh. An impressive list with Carnatic vocalist TM Krishna singing Hum Dekhenge in four languages, much to the delight of the thousands present.

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