Bathinda: At a time when wars and conflicts continue to leave deep human scars, the enduring words of Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Sahir Ludhianvi and Avtar Singh Sandhu resonate once again — calling for peace, resistance and solidarity with the oppressed.Though separated by geography and style, the three revolutionary poets are being remembered together by peace and justice groups for their shared legacy of standing up against injustice, conflict and oppression. Their writings, organisers say, continue to inspire resistance — including solidarity with civilians affected by conflicts in regions such as Gaza and Iran.The Pakistan India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD), marking 30 years of its formation, is organising a national convention on April 18-19 titled ‘Ishq, Siyasat, Awaam: Why Peace Matters’. The event seeks to blend political dialogue with cultural expression, drawing from the works of Faiz, Pash and Sahir.Organisers say the lives and writings of the trio underline that love and resistance are inseparable, and that poetry has always stood with the awaam (people).All three poets passed away in the 1980s — Sahir Ludhianvi (Abdul Hayee) in Mumbai in 1980 at 59, Faiz in Lahore in 1984 at 73, and Pash, who was gunned down in Jalandhar’s Talwandi Salem village in 1988 at 37.The convention aims to bring together voices from across movements — workers, farmers, women, artists, students and activists — to reflect, debate and imagine a politics rooted in peace and justice. It is anchored in the belief that peace is political, democracy must be lived, and people’s voices must find space.“Years after these poets passed, in a world still shaped by war, the call for peace and hope remains undiminished,” said PIPFPD India chapter general secretary MJ Vijayan.In the run-up to the event, posters featuring the three poets have been released at locations associated with them. Social activist Navsharan Singh visited Pash’s village to unveil the poster, invoking Punjab’s legacy of resistance and calling for solidarity with people affected by global conflicts.In Ludhiana, Sahir’s associate Amarjit Singh Hayer unveiled the poster, while in Lahore, Faiz’s daughter, artist Salima Hashmi, recalled her father’s words against war. “When bloodshed becomes routine, poetry refuses silence. Violence must end, and peace must be defended collectively,” she said, urging people to raise their voice against war.MSID:: 130189664 413 |
