Watercolour and glass beads on paper pasted on cotton textile
132.0 x 193.0 （厘米）
52.0 x 76.0 （吋）
The title of this work, “Speak, your life is still your own”, is a line borrowed from the English translation of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poem Bol ke lab azaad hai teray. This poem is particularly relevant in today’s context as it urges us to speak out against injustice before it is too late. The rise of right-wing populism in India has resulted in increased violence against the marginalised, particularly the Muslims, Dalits and other ethnic minorities. Social justice and fundamental rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution are increasingly challenged. In order to enforce the Hindutva worldview on the country, the right-wing in India attempts to rewrite history. Every example that represents a progressive and syncretic tradition is perceived as a threat. Historical figures are vilified, anyone who stands against historical injustice and oppression, whether they are academics, activists, journalists or even students face violent reprisals, all forms of progressive literature are considered seditious, while archaeological monuments which are not part of their conception of the past face neglect and even destruction. Our history and collective memories appear adrift without a present.
We need to dispel the collective amnesia that is gripping the society and resist all attempts made by the right to rewrite history and tamper with the social fabric of the society. This painting is a call to fight equally for our past and present, so that we may still have a future. To look at our history without the lens of nostalgia, to remember people without placing them on pedestals, to learn, question, reclaim and grow, both from their insights as well as shortcomings. As Eduardo Galeano suggests, we have to “search for the keys in the past history to explain our time”, particularly listen to the voices from our past even if they are contradictory to reflect upon the conflict and violence that is consuming our world. This painting highlights the importance of remembering certain individuals and their vision before the right consigns them into oblivion.
