Poetry As Evidence - Outlook's Next Issue Poetry As Evidence - Outlook's Next Issue 
Bol Hook -Bol, kyunki lab tere azaadBol, krantikari ye awaazBol, neta bantein ye samajKholde pol aur karde unka pardafash! (2)
Verse [Shaikhspeare]“Ya Allah” bol ya “Jai Shree Ram”Mile sare dharm toh hai bana HindustanHindu-Muslim saath, dete aman ka paigamInsaniyat se bada na koi dharm na imaan!
Wo kare “divide and rule”, ab bhi tum gulamMajority de lagan, minority ka katle-aam!Bhediya ghoome yahan, bhed ke bhes meMar rahe kyun kisan, krishi ke is desh me?
Mehngai ki maar, mehnga petrol aur raashanNeta karte na vikas, dete bhadkau bhasanNaam ki democracy, yahan tanashahi shasakAwaam ko ye baatein, jaanein ekta me taqat.
Dange ye karate yahan pe baat-baat parMare katein nirdoshon ko jaat-paat parKanon khada dekho yahan pe hanth bandh karPower ki ye bhook, insaan bana hai janwar !
Junglon ko kaat kar banana inhe metroEk kaam karo pure desh ko hi bech doKursi pe rehna bas hai inka PropagandaNews channel failate dar aur inka Agenda
Na tiranga, ye lehrate alag jhandaHarkaton se inki bhaichare ko hai khatraInke khilaf awaaz, toh puchenge tera naamBol inqalab - “Bhagat”, “Asfaqullah khan”!
Hook -Bol, kyunki lab tere azaadBol, krantikari ye awaazBol, neta bantein ye samajKholde pol aur karde unka pardafash! (2)
Verse [EPR]Gunehgaar “Bilkis Bano” ke azaad huePhaasi lagni chahiye thipar phoolon se kyu swaagat kareChadar tale betiyon ko maraNa hifazat / Banne chali police,Par petrol se jalaya unheFormer minister ki scam sinister SSC50 crores cash in hand, ED catching “Chatterjee”Tirangey par bhi politics,Communalism policiesJustice for “Moosewala”In solidarity / rest in peace!
Kaate kyu jungalon ko?Metro railwayAdani buying NDTVJournalism tel me40% increase NCRB ki data sayscrime against women in the capitala vicious web!
Scaw division ki zaroorat haiFast track courtDecision swiftly , the needed step
Har crime mein religious angleAsk those in powerYou’ll understand, their hidden plans
Panch saal mein paanch trillion economyPaanch guna hai jumla aur pancho mein paach fucking thiefsVikaas chahiye? Jab sath hamare corruptionNeta hamare hadap le / gareebi wahi sadak pe
BolSacchai jhoot se kyu darti haiBolNa insaaf ki koi wardi haiBolMuh kholne se phat ti haiConscious hip hopbhi aaj Nehru ki galti hai!
Hook -Bol, kyunki lab tere azaadBol, krantikari ye awaazBol, neta bantein ye samajKholde pol aur karde unka pardafash! (2)
Hook -Speak up, for your words are still freeSpeak up, this voice is revolutionarySpeak up, politicians divide this societyUnmask and expose them
Speak up, for your words are still freeSpeak up, this voice is revolutionarySpeak up, politicians divide this societyUnmask and expose them
Verse [Shaikhspeare]Say “Ya Allah” or Say “Jai Shree Ram”Where all religions coexists- that’s HindustanHindu-Muslim together bring messages of peaceThere’s no religion, no faith greater than humanity
They practice “Divide and rule”, and you are still slavesThe majority pays revenues, and there are genocides on the minority
Wolves are strolling here, dressed up like sheepWhy would farmers die in a nation that’s agrarian?
Battered by inflation, costly petrol and rationNo development by politicians, only deliver provocative orationDemocracy just for the sake, here lies a dictatorknowing the power of unity, they divide the nation,
They kick up riots over trivialitiesInnocent slaughtered in the name of caste and creed
Justice stands and merely watches with folded handsFor this hunger for power, humans have turned into animals
They’d make metros by chopping up the forestsThey must do one thing then, go ahead and sell the nation
To save their chair is their sole propaganda
News channels spread fear and their agendas
Not Tiranga (Tricolour), they wave different flagsTheir shenanigans posedanger to the humanityVoice up against them, they’ll ask for your nameYou must say Inqalab- “Bhagat”, “Asfaqullah Khan”!
Hook -
Speak up, for your words are still freeSpeak up, this voice is revolutionarySpeak up, politicians divide this societyUnmask and expose them
Speak up, for your words are still freeSpeak up, this voice is revolutionarySpeak up, politicians divide this societyUnmask and expose them
Verse [EPR]The culprits of “Bilkis Bano” set freedWho had to be hangedwere welcomed by garlandsSleeping daughters were slaughteredBurnt alive using petrolNo security! So much in the name of the police!
Former Minister’s sinister scam- SSC50 crores in hand, Ed catching a “Chatterrjee”
Politics in the name of TirangaCommunal policiesJustice for MoosewalaIn solidarity/ Rest in Peace
Why chop the forests forMetro-RailwaysAdani buying NDTVJournalism in tatters40%increase as the NCRB data showsCrime against women in the capital a vicious web!
There is no need for Scaw division
Fast track court, Decision swiftly-is the needed step
Religious angle to every crime!
Ask those in powerYou’ll understand-their hidden plans
Five trillion economy in five yearsFive times the rhetoric and all five of them fucking thievesWant development? When corruption is with us!Our politicians encroach, poverty stranded on the roads
Speak upWhy should truth be scared of FallaciesSpeak upFor justice has no costumeSpeak upFor voicing up creates a stirConscious hip-hop must also beNehru’s mistake
Hook -
Speak up, for your words are still freeSpeak up, this voice is revolutionarySpeak up, politicians divide this societyUnmask and expose them
Speak up, for your words are still freeSpeak up, this voice is revolutionarySpeak up, politicians divide this societyUnmask and expose them
Shaikhspeare ft EPR, Bihar
(“Shaikhspeare” aka “Shaikh The Don”, born as Aamir Shaikh, is an Indian rapper and songwriter. He hails from northern suburbs of Mumbai, and has established himself as one of the most influential and skilled rappers of his generation.)
Basti AnthemIn Basti, we brawl and stay brothers Brimming with fervour, all of usIn Basti, there is love in abundanceFrom the thatched hut to the palace
Meet me in the akhara, we’ll dance the jhoomarVisit me at home, I’ll feed you the dhuskaThe Adivasis worship the sakhua treeWe’re content eating leftover rice
I say Johar to all, humble or mightyI’m on the front line fighting for water, forest and landWhen we dance to the beats of the mandar and the nagaraThe whole of Jharkhand dances with us
Madua roti and mar jhor taste deliciousNothing beats the beng saag chutneyAnd what do I say about the new Jharkhand?Birsa lives here in every house
Riches and poverty are secondaryFraternity comes first for usLook at my body burnished through field labourIn winter, we warm ourselves at the bonfire
Look how full of love, this song of mineLook at the tears flow like dew on wintry morningsThe soil of Jharkhand and the tribal bloodLiving by the sweat of my brow, I have peace in my heart
I play hide-and-seek at nightI spin the top on my palmGulli-danda, pitto and thannuBehold my aim in goli and guchchu
Our golden beauties are decked in red-bordered sarisWe’re no less in our dhoti and gamchhaThe entire village is my familyIn every house live my father and mother
Johar
—Translated from Hindi by Kaushika Draavid
बस्ती में होलक मार भाई मने साथे है
आगे और पिछे से सोभे बेटा कांके हैं
बस्ती में देख यहां प्यार अनठेकान हौव
खपड़ा घर से लेकर बड़का मकान हौव
अखड़ा जाबे होले झुमर नचवाय देबौ
एड़पा आबे होले ढुस्का खियाय देबौ
सखुआ गाछ के पूजे ना आदिवासी
फुटानी करो ना खाए लेबौ भात बासी
छोट बड़ हाथ जोड़ी सब के जोहार करीला
जल, जंगल जमीन ले खड़ल आगे रहीला
मांदर के थाप और नगड़ा के ढांक
हिलाय देवीला गोटा झारखंड राज्य
मड़वा रोटी माड़ झोर खाए में स्वाद
बेंग साग के चटनी के नखे जवाब
नवा इ झारखंड अब बोलबौ हम का
रहेला बिरसा हरेक घर में हिंया
अमीरी गरीबी बाद कर बात हौव
भाईचारा सबके हिया दिल कर पास हौव
खेत में काम कैइर के बोडी मोर देख
जाड़ा कर मौसम में बोरसी तोय सेक
प्रित देखा मोरे इ गीत में
लोर पानी झरे जैसे सीत के
झारखंडी मिट्टी मोर आदिवासी खून
मेहनत कर खाइला सेले दिल में सुकुन
लुका छिपी खेलिला ना रात में
लट्टू किनदारी ला हाथ में
गुल्ली डंटा, पिट्टो और ठन्नु कर खेल
गोली और गुच्चु में ऐमटा मोर देख
सोना रूपा चेहरा में लाल पाड़ साड़ी
धोती और गमछा में हमिनों तैयार हीं
गांव पूरा परिवार हौव हमर
हर घर में बाबा और माय हमर
जोहार
Aman Kachhap, Jharkhand
(Aman Kachhap is a tribal rapper from Jharkhand.)
StageWe didn’t go to the stage,nor were we called.With a wave of the handwe were shown our place.There we satand were congratulated,and “they”, standing on the stage,kept on telling us of our sorrows.Our sorrows remained ours,they never became theirs. When we whispered out doubtsthey perked their ears to listen,and sighing,tweaking our ears,told us to shut up,apologize; or else…
—Translated from Marathi by Bharat Patankar, Gail Omvedt, and Suhas Paranjape
Waharu Sonavane, Maharashtra
(Waharu Sonavane is a Marathi poet, writer and social worker. He belongs to the Bhil tribal community and has made a huge contribution to society. Fondly called “Vahrubhau”buddha bet, he lives in Shahada tehsil of Nandurbar district of Maharashtra.)