Two weeks ago, we had asked readers to write to us about an unusual patriotic song which spoke of the nation without jingoistic overtones. Most wrote back about the national anthem and the debate over whether to stand at attention when it’s playing. Those who did write about patriotic songs ended up quoting Sahir Ludhianvi’s ‘Jinhe naaz hai Hind par wo kahan hain’. This write-up picked up an interesting contemporary film song.
There are two kinds of people who criticise the state and the nation’s state of affairs: those with vendetta, and those who highlight flaws for the sake of improvement. The second kind is on the verge of becoming an endangered species, but we need such people to safeguard the true spirit of Independence. ‘ Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ , penned for the film Shanghai (2012), does that critiquing and ruffled quite a few obdurate feathers. It obviously wouldn’t have seen the light of day had it been penned in these intolerant days.
Written when “intolerance” wasn’t quite being given its due of “destroying democracy”, it still hit the nail on the head. “ Sone ki chidiya, dengue malaria ” is how Dibakar Banerjee opts to present a country which specialises in contradicting itself. Instead of blind devotion, it is about confronting the general state of affairs. It reflects what every Indian experiences — chamchagiri (nepotism) and ugly political narcissism. “ Na sune baat koi haath aur laat pyare. Arrey phir na kehna, arrey peechhe hi rehna. Jo humne kahi rule wahi .” (Beat and kick those who don’t listen or disagree. Don’t say anything again, stay behind. What we say is the rule.) We? Me is the underlying meaning, of course.
‘ Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ acknowledges the good, the bad and the ugly, removing the rose-tinted glasses that have perched on our nose for centuries. It eschews conventional, singular ideas of patriotism, satirically disdaining our unshakeable dogmatism, providing a fresh perspective on patriotism.
shreenidhi_rajagopalan@yahoo.com
