Urdunama: Learn About ‘Inquilab’ Through Poetry of Resistance

In this episode of Urdunama, learn the meaning and the context of the Urdu word ‘inquilab’.

(Photo: The Quint)

Video Editor: Prashant Chauhan

Camerapersons: Abhishek Ranjan and Mukul Bhandari

Inquilab stands for revolution, uprising, change.

There have been many revolutions in the past, such as the French Revolution and India’s struggle for independence. We’ve learnt about them in our History books. In recent times, the #MeToo movement can be labelled an ‘inquilab’ our generation has seen and fought.

In 2017, women actors like Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie accused American film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct and abuse. Soon, other women actors joined the furore of the allegations against him, saying they had been sexually harassed as well.

Other survivors of sexual abuse started tweeting about their trauma with the hashtag MeToo. Sexual predators, who had been hiding in different industries, began getting exposed, hence broadening the scope of this inquilab (revolution).

Usually, a revolution is required to change political ideology, campaign against social ills and address oppression and exploitation in their many forms. And, when these small acts of revolt accumulate and escalate, they turn into a revolution and kick-start an uprising...

Like most languages, Urdu too has separate genre of resistance poetry or Inquilabi Shayari. In this episode of Urdunama, learn more about some gems of Urdu resistance poetry.