Young Pakistanis air their angst through music video

ISLAMABAD: A poem opposing the policies of Pakistan's military ruler in the 1950s has been shaped into a snappy music video by two leftist activists, to air their angst against the current happenings in the country.

Resistance poetry has long been the weapon of Pakistanis and it is not surprising that the young firebrand revolutionaries have based their music video on the poetry of
legendary poet Habib Jalib.

The musical documentary, posted on the Internet, includes a series of live shots of Karachi, Lahore and London from the period shortly after the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto in December last year up to this year's general election on February 18.

Jalib is believed to have composed the satire - titled "Musheer", which means the adviser - during military ruler Ayub Khan's regime. But the poetry, the leftist activists say, "is still very valid".

Shahram Azhar's vocals and Taimur Rehman's guitar run at background as the video unveils a tumultuous period in Pakistan's history.

The video begins in Pakistan on the eve of Bhutto's assassination and then zooms in on the ensuing grief, violence and carnage. It also has passing shots of London, where a
group of young activists are seen organising protests.

The song and video were produced on a shoe-string budget of just one session each.

The poem by Jalib, who was also a Leftist, was written in response to a conversation he had with another leading poet of his time, Hafiz Jalandari.

"Tu khuda ka noor hai, akal hai shaoor hai, quam tere saath hai, tere hi wujood sai mulk ki nijaad hai"  Jalib, who was jailed for writing resistance poetry, wrote in the satire
targeting Ayub Khan.

Azhar and Rahman  who are political activists of the Communist Mazdoor Kisan Party in Pakistan  have been using poetry, music and activism to protest against the goings-on in their country.

They have also been involved in the lawyers' movement against President Pervez Musharraf after emergency was imposed in November last year.

The musical documentary by Widei Films of London, which is to be released shortly, seeks to show that the Left is not dead in the country and plural voices for an egalitarian and more just Pakistan are very alive.

The poem pokes fun at Jalib's contemporaries who fell silent during the dictator's era.

"Jinko tha zabaan par naaz...chup hain woh... admi hai wohh bada dar pai hai jo pada, joh panah maang le baksh de uski khatah".

Jalib also did not spare Pakistanis, who accept wrongs done to them as their fate.

"Das crore yeh gadhe, Jinka naam hai awaam, Jinka naam hai awaam, Kya bangenge hukraman, Apni to yeh dua yeh sadr to rahe sada".