(And some related emotions, not all dissent. Defiance, inspiration, perseverance, etc).

Dissent is the lifeblood of democracy. An elected government has to be held accountable. If it gets the bouquets for the good it does (which, by the way, is simply the result of it doing its job), it must also be ready to face the brickbats for when things aren’t done properly. When corruption, misuse of public funds, manipulation and other maleficence comes into the picture, a government that shrugs off responsibility, refuses to apologize or take effective measures to mitigate the impact of the problem—must be taken to task.

This is happening now. Begun by the CJP but now taken over by thousands of Gen-Z youngsters across India, a protest movement that is still largely about the government’s lackadaisical approach to the NEET exam paper leaks, has taken on other shades of dissent too. Because of police brutality that has severely injured young protestors, because of all the other reasons for public despair and anger, because it is no longer acceptable to stay quiet.

In tribute to the courage, the defiance, and the sheer wit of the student protestors right now at Jantar Mantar and elsewhere: a list. These are ten songs that embody the spirit of the times. Some are defiant, some are satirical. Some are about politics, but others stem from other situations. All, however, in some way or the other, reminded me of the images and videos I’ve been seeing the past several days.

As always, these are all from pre-1970s films that I’ve seen. They’re in no specific order.

1. Andher nagri chaupat raja (Railway Platform, 1955): Lyricist: Sahir Ludhianvi. Sahir Ludhianvi is the poet who first comes to my mind when I think of songs of dissent—he wrote so many of them! This one, from Sunil Dutt’s very first film, is a relatively little-known one (compared, say, to the songs of Pyaasa), but so good. So sharply satirical, so hard-hitting: Inhein na koi fiqr na chinta/Yeh hain mahlonwaale/Inke raaj mein pad gaye humko/Apni jaan ke laale (They have no worries, no anxieties/These are those who dwell in palaces/In the reign of these people/We live in fear of our lives). The rest of the song too goes on in a similar vein, heaping scorn on all those who are corrupt, communal, greedy and selfish. When the ruler is an incompetent, of course there will be darkness throughout the realm.

2. Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai (Shaheed, 1965): Lyricist: Ram Prasad ‘Bismil’. In a very different mood from the biting sarcasm of Andher nagri chaupat raja is this classic poem from the revolutionary poet and freedom fighter Ram Prasad Bismil. Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai has been used time and again, in several films including recent ones like The Legend of Bhagat Singh and Rang de Basanti—but my favourite is this one, sung by Manna Dey, Rafi and Rajendra Mehta.

This is staunchness, this is courage: the refusal to back down, no matter how powerful, how intimidating the enemy.

3. Humein un raahon par chalna hai (Maasoom, 1960): Lyricist: Raja Mehdi Ali Khan. Like Sarfaroshi ki tamanna, this is one of those slow, earnest songs. Here, Manmohan Krishna (who, by the way, was one of the singers—both onscreen and playback—of Andher nagri chaupat raja) plays a man whose wife dies, leaving him to look after their three children on his own. He sings this song (in the voice of Subir Sen) to comfort his children, so it’s not really a song of dissent. But it is a song of inspiration, of getting past one’s own grief and worries to be a beacon for others. Which, really, I think, is what a lot of these young people currently protesting are doing: hum hain woh diye auron ke liye jinhe toofaanon mein jalna hai (we are those lamps which must shine on through storms).

4. Takht na hoga taaj na hoga (Aaj aur Kal, 1963): Lyricist: Sahir Ludhianvi. Another song written by Sahir, and one which is actually set against a backdrop of politics being played out: a group of earnest young people (played by Sunil Dutt, Tanuja and Sudesh Kumar) lead an election campaign to oust the ruler (who, ironically enough, is the father of Tanuja’s character). Takht na hoga taaj na hoga is flamboyantly socialistic in its tone, and its refrain, of giving workers, farmers, the common people their due, is an underlining of the sort of sentiment that governed many films of the 50s and 60s.

5. Nayi umar ke naye sitaaron (Nayi Umar ki Nayi Fasal, 1965): Lyricist: Neeraj. This is the film that first came to my mind when I began thinking of this post, because Nayi Umar ki Nayi Fasal was about college students, and that too students involved in politics. Not in the way of going up against the establishment the way protestors are doing across India now, but still. The film is bets-known for the unforgettable Swapn jhade phool se (kaarvaan guzar gaya ghubaar dekhte rahe), but it began with a credits song: Nayi umar ke naye sitaaron is addressed to the youth of the country, a song encouraging them to upturn the status quo, to usher in a new age…

6. Tum jo ho so ho (Biradari, 1966): Lyricist: Prem Dhawan. This is one of those songs on this list that are not outright about dissent, but which remind me of the sort of attitude I keep seeing among the many videos, placards and memes of the protestors these days. There’s a sense of not being cowed down by power or wealth; a self-confidence that allows them to call out the hypocrisy, the egoism, the arrogance and questionable moral values of those they are going up against. Irreverent, tongue-in-cheek, and oh so annoying for whoever is at the receiving end!

7. Kehne ki nahin baat magar ab zor se kehna hai (Pyaar Kiye Jaa, 1966): Lyricist: Rajinder Krishan. Shashi Kapoor again (and in a 1966 film which also starred Mehmood), and in a song that is very much in tone like Tum jo ho so ho: that same fearless attitude towards those who try to put one down. That ‘Behaya, sharam kar, sharam kar… tu chulloo-bhar paani mein dubki laga jaa (Shameless! Have some shame… go, take a dip in a cupped palm full of water)’ cracks me up, and one particular sequence from the song’s picturization reminds me very forcefully of what happened during the NEET protests in Bihar. When Shashi Kapoor’s character has bucketsful of water flung at him and continues to sing and dance, if anything with even more gay abandon—in a similar vein, during the protests in Patna, the police trained water cannons on protestors, who immediately turned the situation into a rain dance. So deliciously cheeky.

8. Insaaf ki dagar pe bachchon dikhaao chalke (Ganga Jamuna, 1961): Lyricist: Shakeel Badayuni. ‘Yeh desh hai tumhaara, neta tumhi ho kal ke’ (This country is yours, you are the leaders of tomorrow): what a profound truth, and one which I hope is finally settling into the psyche of not just the youth of India but of older generations too.

In this song, I don’t agree with the thing about uncomplainingly suffering all the torments the world may send one’s way, but everything else about the lyrics of this classic children’s song is very inspirational for both children as well as young adults. Dignity, goodwill towards one and all, justice for all: so much there to espouse.

9. Ae watan ke naujawaan jaag (Baaz, 1953): Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri. Geeta Bali’s fiery, feisty freedom fighter is going up against the tyrannical Portuguese colonisers in this song, but Majrooh Sultanpuri’s excellent lyrics are as relevant to the situation today as they are to the fictional one in Baaz. Saaf hai teri nazar, unke dil mein chor hai/Unmein bal hai teri bhi baazuon mein zor hai (Your gaze is clear and pure; in their hearts is evil/If they have might on their side, your arms too are powerful). So inspiring, and the combination of Geeta Dutt’s voice and OP Nayyar’s music make Ae watan ke naujawaan all that much more memorable.

10. Naujawaanon bharat ki taqdeer (Kundan, 1955): Lyricist: Shakeel Badayuni. I began this list with a song featuring Sunil Dutt in the year he debuted; in that same year (1955) he also acted in Sohrab Modi’s adaptation of Les Miserables as an earnest young freedom-fighter. Even though it’s addressed to the young people of pre-independent India, exhorting them to take India’s future into their hands—the song is very relevant today in its emphasis on the importance of the youth in bringing about change, in freeing India from the fetters it finds itself in.

What songs would you suggest for this list? Please share!