Nagpur: A memorial event held in Nagpur to honor the late activist and filmmaker Vira Sathidar has taken a controversial turn after three individuals, including Sathidar’s wife Pushpa Sathidar, were booked under sedition-related charges. The issue arose after the poem “Hum Dekhenge” by renowned Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz was sung during the event, reported the Madhyamam.
According to the Nagpur Police, the case has been registered under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the newly introduced criminal code replacing IPC. The complaint alleges that the poem’s rendition posed a threat to the sovereignty and unity of the nation and could provoke communal disharmony.
“Hum Dekhenge” has long been considered a poem of resistance and hope. Written during General Zia-ul-Haq’s dictatorship in Pakistan, the poem has become symbolic of struggles against authoritarianism. It was widely recited during the anti-CAA protests across India, including at IIT Kanpur, where it became a subject of intense debate and controversy.
The filing of sedition charges for a literary piece has once again raised concerns over the use of stringent laws to curb free expression. Rights activists and civil society members have condemned the move, calling it a dangerous precedent that undermines democratic values.
