Shayari enthusiasts view the language’s symbolic importance as an obvious way to bring the country together, says Abhinandita Mathur, cultural adviser to the Delhi government. And while there is a misconception in India that Urdu, spoken by more than 50 million Indians, is a language of outsiders, associated with Muslims and Pakistan, in reality, most people in north India have been speaking Hindustani – a combination of Hindi and Urdu – for centuries. Under Modi, there has been a surge of violence against religious minorities including Muslims, as well as lower-caste Hindus such as Dalits, in some northern states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.īut where the Hindu nationalist narrative excludes, poetry has the ability to unite. But now Urdu poetry has become a form of dissent against Hindu nationalism, which has risen under prime minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a rightwing party known historically for defining “Indianness” in terms of Hindu values. It has been used throughout history to unify communities and fight oppression nationalist and patriotic poetry was an important rallying point during India’s fight against British rule. Poetry in India has long served a purpose beyond art or entertainment.
We want to express ourselves, and this is a beautiful form of expression.” “We look for books of shayari, watch YouTube videos and listen to songs with Urdu prominence. “We as millennials are attracted a lot towards Urdu, both from the romantic side of it and the activism side of it,” she says. Shayari, historically associated with the politics of resistance, is experiencing a revival in the face of rising Hindu nationalism in Delhi.Īt the festival, as people take selfies in front of an “I love Urdu” cutout, Shweta, a 20-year-old college student, says she believes shayari poetry could unite people. It was Jashn-e-Rekhta, a three-day Urdu cultural festival, and its popularity reflects a wider appreciation for Urdu poetry. In a Delhi hockey stadium in December, about 100,000 people of various ages, genders, and classes flooded in for two days of poetry, debates, food and calligraphy sessions.
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