Sheetal Sathe and Sachin Mali, former members of the Kabir Kala Manch, are known for their hard-hitting songs of protest that fire listeners across the country. “Dear democracy, what should I eat with my hunger?” begins their latest performance, written and performed by Mali, with backing vocals by Sathe.
It’s sharp and it’s angry, using hunger as a metaphor: “Should I eat those who died hungry, or the loans that were taken for their funerals?”, “Should I eat the Fascism that enters the nation in the guise of god and religion, or the venom spouted in the name of Hindutva?”
The rhythmic lines, with beautiful background percussion, also quote BR Ambedkar to outline the primary message: “What are we having this liberty for? We are having this liberty in order to reform our social system, which is full of inequality, discrimination and other things, which conflict with our fundamental rights.”
Will this ruffle some feathers? Mali pointedly asks the upholders of democracy not to get angry about his questioning or call him an anti-national, because this is hunger that cannot be satisfied by grains. If it were, “it would satisfied by ration grains, full of pests”. But the hunger that Mali is really talking about is a “desire of independence, a creation of society where there aren’t caste-based atrocities”.
Both Mali and Sathe have done prison time under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and are currently out on bail. But they continue to perform with the same fervour as showcased in Anand Patwardhan’s documentary Jai Bhim Comrade.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!