ASPECTS OF RESISTANCE POETRY DURING THE REGIME OF Z. A. BHUTTO (1971-1977)

Abstract

Literature plays a vital role in human society since it brings out the esoteric and underlying realities with which mankind needs to engage. This is true of all its forms, whether poetry, drama, novel, or short stories. Protest poetry by its nature is not very nuanced and is usually full throated. In Urdu as well in other languages spoken in the territory in which Pakistan is established, protest poetry began with the stirrings of 1857 and grew sharper after the British regained power. Protest against the colonial power began in the wake of the establishment of the Home Rule League, it was sharpened, at least till the Second World War by members of the Progressive Writers Movement in 1936. Since the demand for Independence was accompanied by demands for Social justice, protest did not even pause at the moment of liberation. This is found in the literature of other countries also. Always we see protest against monarchical or dictatorial regimes. In this paper we shall try to discover why protest poetry continued in the democratic regime of the Pakistan People’s Party headed by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto though the protest he led against the Tashkent Declaration 1966 was accompanied by protest poetry, especially by Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Habib Jalib, Sheikh Ayaz, Ustad Daman, Fehmida Riaz, Yunus Sharar and even Naeem Siddiqui. Their protest was also met with coercive state measure. The study of this period 1971-1977 promises to be rewarding.