Art is at the center of any political or social upheaval.
This is the assertion with which some of the greatest artists of 20th century
did set on their journey. One such artist was Safdar Hashmi.
New Delhi, January 4th 1989:
That winter day witnessed a sea of artists, intellectuals
and workers joining hands. What was so on this cold January day that brought
them together? It was the incident 3 days back at Jhandapur on the outskirts of
Delhi that shook an entire nation. Safdar Hashmi was the conveyor of Janam- a
theatre group that performed on streets. From rising inflation to workers
plight from American President's visits to police violence- Safdar's plays,
some drew inferences from Bretch- were varied and touched a milieu of such
crisis. Safdar's endeavor at the heart of it, was to start a cultural
awakening. It was a movement which sought to make arts as a means of expression
for freedom, economic and social justice.
New Delhi, January 1st 1989:
On a day when Delhi haze had quietly settled over its smoke
throwing chimneys, in the Industrial area of Jhandapur, Janam was supposed to
perform its street play 'Halla Bol'
in support of trade union demands; when their adversary Mukul Sharma- a political
thug from ruling Congress(I) confronted Safdar and his comrades. He along with
his group of men assaulted the actors. They fled. Over a settling sun Safdar
and his troupe ran for their lives, but only till Mukul Sharma found them.
Safdar Hashmi was ferociously beaten by hockey sticks and cricket bats. He
received many blows on his head. Next day, Safdar, as his comrades called him,
succumbed to his injuries in a Delhi hospital.
It stunned everyone. Recounting the incident Javed Akhter
says that it wasn't that this was one of the first such brazen attacks on
artists, but it is just that we couldn't take it any longer. There had to be an
outburst. Enough was enough.
On January 4, over fifteen thousand people gathered to bury
Safdar. The funeral procession was nine miles long. Every artist, every
intellectual, every worker – it was a sight to behold.
Janam returned to Jhandapur, the same day, to finish what they had begun. Dressed in their trademark black, solemn and angry, the players threw themselves into their art and their activism. Among them was Moloyashree Hashmi, Safdar's wife. Reflecting on that moment, Moloyashree wrote several years later.
"We are often asked what made us perform in Jhandapur
that day. Why did we go there a day after Safdar died? Was it difficult? And so
on. At that time, it seemed the most natural thing for us to do; I don't think
it was carefully planned. Was it an emotional response? Perhaps it was – we had
lost a dear friend, comrade, companion. But I don't think it was merely an
emotional response. We were doing what we had been doing for so many years:
performing among the people. And as performers, we felt very strongly, as we do
till date, that we should never leave a performance incomplete. The 4 January
performance was also Janam's salute to Safdar, the people's artist. And there
was also the political context: we had to assert that people's art cannot be
crushed by brute force."
It may be of some interest that Safdar Hashmi taught in
Kashmir University in mid 70s, right after he completed his M.A from St. Stephen's
Delhi.
In solidarity with the organisers of Gallery One, who put a
fight against the system. For art shall prevail.
'Safdar Tu Zinda Hai.'
A documentary ‘Natak Jaari hai’ on this episode and the
larger message that Safdar wanted to carry forward, directed by Lalit Vachani
can be purchased online on the below URL:
This piece was carried in Greater Kashmir's March 6th 2015 edition.
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