Activism & Art: Poetess Sabika Naqvi Performs at Marine Drive
A gender rights’ activist, Sabika is inspired by feminist and queer politics– the subject of most of her poems.
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“Ye khamosh mijazi tumhe jeene nahi degi, Jeena hai agar chayn se, kohram macha do!”
Meet Sabika Abbas Naqvi.
She has been writing poetry for as long as she can remember: in cutting English and in breezy Hindustani. A student of history, she is a gender rights’ activist, an alternative educator and is inspired by feminist and queer politics– the subject of most of her poems. She is the founder of Sar-e-Rahguzar, a movement to bring poetry onto the streets. Inspired by it, in July 2017, she decided to start performing her protest poetry in public spaces to shake people out of their comfort zones, force them to pause whatever urgent journey they’re on and listen.
The Quint met up with her at the Tata Literature Live! Festival, where she was a panelist discussing resistance through art. We took her to Mumbai’s iconic Marine Drive on a Sunday morning where she performed one of her favourites, ‘Meri Saree’, a Hindustani poem about the nine-yard cloth that has been objectified, sexualised and yet remains one of the strongest symbols of female courage and identity.
From Shahid Kapoor to Bollywood’s infamous “Tip Tip Barsa Pani” song; from Savitri Phule to Naqvi’s domestic help Bela who fought her oppressive family; from sectarianism to casteism– all find mention with such great attention to detail that her powerful voice and rising crescendo only add to the goosebumps, the poem leaves you with.
Editor: Kammaljiith Kainth
Producer: Divya Talwar
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