Lawfare – National Security, Others

Pushpa Sathidar, the wife of late actor and Dalit rights activist Veera Sathidar, is among three people who reportedly face charges after an attendee recited poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s ‘Hum Dekhenge’ poem at a memorial event in Maharashtra’s Nagpur.

During a memorial programme for Veera Sathidar on May 13, a member of the Samata Kala Manch, recited verses by renowned Pakistani poet Faiz, including lines such as – “Hum Ahl-e-Safa, Mardrid-e-Haram, Masnad Pe Bithae Jayenge, Sab Taj Uchhale Jayenge, Sab Takht Giraye Jayenge, Hum Dekhenge” – which call for resistance against authoritarianism, according to PTI news agency.

The video went viral on social media and was aired on Marathi news channels as well. According to a complainant Dattatraya Shirke cited by PTI, the remarks were inflammatory and disturbed communal harmony.

An FIR was filed against the organisers and the person who recited the poem on basis of the complaint lodged by Dattatraya Shirke.