Today is the 110th Birthday Anniversary of Faiz Ahmad Faiz. His story is incredible.

Joined the Indian Army in 1942 (WW2).
Supported the Naval Mutiny.
Attended Gandhi’s funeral in Delhi.
Nominated for Nobel Prize in Literature.
Received the Lenin Peace Prize in 1962.

#Thread

Just like Bhagat Singh, Faiz was considered a Hero in Undivided British India. During WW2, Faiz served with a unit led by Akbar Khan, a left-wing officer and future Pakistan Army general.

Faiz rose to the rank of lieutenant-colonel.
There was a mass recruitment of Indians especially socialist & communist activists into the British Indian Army and RIN (Navy) for war efforts against Nazi Germany after 1941.

However, once the war was over, the newly recruited men turned against the British, 1946 Naval Mutiny.
His poem Subh-e Azaadi (The Dawn of Freedom, August 1947) records his disappointment with the partition of the Indian subcontinent.

Faiz was imprisoned for more than 4 years after partition in a fake case popularly called "Pindi Conspiracy Case".
Communist party of Pak was banned soon after that Rawalpindi Conspiracy case.

He was held in solitary confinement in Sahiwal and Hyderabad (Sindh) jail and was even deprived of writing material. Faiz was again imprisoned in 1958 (Ayyub Khan’s martial law).
When Faiz Ahmad Faiz visited India (Bombay) in the late 1970s.

Faiz Ahmad Faiz (3rd from right) is seen with Sahir Ludhianvi, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Naushad, Jan Nisar Akhtar, Rajinder Singh Bedi, RD Burman and others.
Faiz and Bhagat Singh were friends. According to one account, Bhagat Singh fired from the first floor of the New Hostel in Lahore (at ASP John P Saunders) and Faiz is said to have witnessed the scene.

Fazi later wrote a tribute to Bhagat Singh.
Sab taaj uchale jaenge,
Sab takht giraye jayenge,
Hum dekhenge,
Lazim hai ki hum bhi dekhenge.

Every crown will be tossed,
Every throne will be brought down.
We shall witness,
It is certain that we too shall witness.

- Faiz Ahmad Faiz
1981: Faiz Ahmed Faiz with Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Sanjay Dutt, and Raj Khosla in Bombay.

The city of Bombay was loved by many for its unique Leftist History.

#ThreadEnd
Last year everyone was talking about Faiz and Hum Dekhenge.

This year total silence. Indians and their short term memory.

More from India

A lot has happened in the last week re: the IT Rules, 2021! It may feel chilling, but mass awareness is the first step. This is an official thread of our resources on the Rules. Send it to anyone who wants to learn about them. This thread will evolve with updates over time.
1/n

On Feb 25, 2021 we published an analysis of the draft IT Rules, 2021. Alongside the analysis is a rundown of the contentious history of the Rules and the need for starting afresh on this vital conversation about platform accountability. Thread


On Feb 25, 2021, the IT Rules, 2021 came into force. On Feb 27, 2021, we shared with you our comprehensive deep-dive into the Rules - an overview of its contents, the “safeguards” it seeks to establish, and how they affect your fundamental rights.


We're also talking directly to young people and making sure that they are empowered with knowledge about their digital rights w.r.t. the IT Rules, 2021. Watch our video explaining the background of the Rules and the crux of the matter in 5

Currently, public analysis including our own provides a broad overview of concerns. Since new IT Rules are here to stay, we're also providing you with segmented explainers. Our simple video on how the new Rules will affect digital news

You May Also Like