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 Literature & Freedom.

Undoubtedly Indian National Movement was one of the biggest movement for freedom modern world ever seen.The medium of communication and representation was the poems ,slogans,folk songs & music , not only with the people who was illiterate but also with the people who want to join you. It have more importance when you have to spread your thoughts with the people of larger geographical expansion .

The role of music,songs,slogans and other literature in any revolution that they sharp  the idea and strategy of any revolution and national movement.This may be in form of political slogans,patriotic song or essay,but this concept was not new for india and its people ,who was living in different geographical locations in india during the bhakti movement.The literature promotes the revolutionary thinking and after every revolution a change in society and it’s vision promote the literature.So in case of india there was a rich literature but mostly in form of  poems and hymns because it is a rhythmic literature.

So dissatisfaction in indian minds was start from bengal begun with the Battle of Plassey 1757 , and company rule.During 1763 to 1856 more than 40  big outbreak happened and the smaller are uncountable.Then the first mutiny of 1857 happened ,the revolutionary controlled the Delhi and make Bahadur shah as the emperor of india.but soon the Delhi gone back to the control of british and the waistline of revolutionary movement rupture in 1858 and india become under british imperialism &.it fails as revolution but it makes a path for the Nationalist Movement The first slogan against the company rule was jo rakshak wahi bhakshak. after 1857 a lot of  uprising happened and the dissatisfaction start growing and this dissatisfaction guided the Tribal Revolt, Farmers Revolts.The first success was in form of Indigo Movement start from 1857 in bengal company put pressure on farmers to cultivate the indigo and in 1860 they successfully stopped the farming of indigo after fighting with the goons of company.a english weekly shows very important role during this period known as  Hindoo Patriot,which have extremely important role to expose and criticize the perforce cultivation of indigo. Another major role played by Dinabandhu Mitra’s play Neel Darpan in 1859 which was in Bangla and  it work as last nail thump on indigo farming in bengal.This was the role of a magazine and a play but another important thing  was what we can see a unity between elite educated class,farmers and workers after 1857.Hindi poetry begun with the Bharatendu Harishchandra and come in it’s new age ,his Bharat Durdasha (1875) play tells about the dissatisfaction in people, and how british destroyed India.His another play Andher Nagri tells about the stupid kings of India.

Vande Mataram is the national song of India. [Link – Shemaroo]

Now everything Start with Vande Mataram (वन्दे मातरम्) a song by Bankim chandra chatterjee  in his book Anandamath  (1882) ,which have a giant importance in the freedom and nationalist movement of India but it playas more importance because at 1880 british force to sing God Save The Queen in every office and bankim was himself an officer decline it. vande mataram have an important role in the Congress Meetings and known as call of freedom and a slogan for motherland .The first political occasion when it was sung was the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress. After that in 1906, Dadabhai Nauroji  Call for a slogan “Swaraj” in 1906 just after the partition of bengal in 1905. “Swaraj” (स्वराज)slogan become close to every one and after some time congress demanded for “Purna Swaraj” (पूर्ण स्वराज) in 26 january 1929 in lahore (now days pakistan) by congress president Jawaharlal Nehru.

Ekla Cholo Re a song and written by guru ravindranath tagore was released  and it provided voice to all the people who want to serve motherland and they have no support no answer, so this song guided to walk alone not to afraid.After 1908 a young revolutionary from bengal Khudiram Bose (18)was hanged by british a young man died and a song was written and composed by a Bengali poet Pitambar Das the song was Ek Baar biday de ma ghure ashi (एकबार बिदाई दे माँ घुरे अशी). All Bengali community and other indian community (deshwasi) sheds there eyes and youth of bengal become more struggling against british in bengal.you can lision this song in a bengali movie Shubhash chardra in lata mangeskars voice.

Now The tone of the revolution spread everywhere in india in Maratha Desh a marathi poem Sagara Pran Talmalala and Sare Jahan se Accha Hindustan hamara   (1904) (सारे जहाँ से अच्छा हिन्दोसिताँ हमारा) plays its important role in freedom struggle, mahatma gandhi sung it in yerwada jail hundred of times and after independence when rakesh sharma replied ex p.m indira gandhi’s question – How india look from space? and his reply was – Sare Jahan se Accha Hindustan hamara.This was the Impression of music,songs and poems on indian minds.

Sqn Ldr Rakesh Sharma held a television news conference with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from Space .when Indira Gandhi asked him how India looked from outer space His famous reply, borrowed from Allama Iqbal, was, ‘ Saare Jahan Se Achcha, (better than the whole world).’ [Thanks to – ISRO Mangalyaan]

 Sardar Ajit Singh was the leader of Pagdi Sambhal Jatta movement till 1907 and the song become very popular from movie The Legend of Bhagat Singh (it is edited but have same feel). Ajit singh was uncle of Sardar Bhagat singh. Mai rang de basanti chola was related to bhagat singh as well, this song was on everyone’s lips during freedom struggle.

An patriotic urdu poetry was related with the Ram Prashad bismil , sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai dekhna hai zor kitna baazu -e- qaatil mein hai which become extra -ordinary  for those revolutionaries who want to free india with the help of bullet ant ballet.Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad was these type of revolutionaries. They shouted the slogans like Inquilab Zindabad , Bhagat singh and his other friends killed saunders  who passed the orders of lathicharge on Lala Lajpat Rai in 1928 during Protest against Simon Commission.

“SARFAROSHI KI TAMANNA AB HAMAARE DIL MEIN HAI, DEKHNA HAI ZOR KITNA BAAZU E KAATIL MEIN HAI.

WAQT AANAY DEY BATA DENGE TUJHE AYE AASMAN, HUM ABHI SE KYA BATAYE KYA HAMARE DIL MEIN HAI.”

A lot of poets and their poetry if you start giving there are no end but i am limiting myself to some outstanding work.