There’s a reason why Gulzar’s poems and songs resonate with the masses. It’s because of his ability to understand the emotions, fears, hopes, and disappointments that ultimately make us human.
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And his latest poem is a hauntingly beautiful summation of the agony that thousands of migrants have undergone, under the lockdown in India.
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Gulzar talks about how, for a migrant worker, a city is not home but merely a means of survival – one that was brutally taken away due to the pandemic-induced-lockdown.
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In the villages lay age-old property disputes, the history of their ancestors, and the landmarks of their childhood. City is, but a mechanical construct feeding their bellies, but not their hearts.
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Many people commented on the way Gulzar managed to give a voice to the migrants’ plight:
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You can listen to the complete poem here:
Like the wordsmith he is, Gulzar finds an accurate and heartfelt expression for a migrant’s unimaginable struggles and broken spirit.
All images are screenshots from the video, unless specified otherwise.