Poem
Ellen van Neerven
every small protest counts
in solidarity with the Shaheen Bagh women
| ACCOMPANY | your children |
| ADMINISTER | biryani to those braving the cold and rain |
| ADVOCATE | for freedom “Aazadi!” the children cry |
| APPLY | music to the streets |
| ASSUME | those who are here know the words a song is not a song unless it’s sung by many |
| BELONG | a woman’s place is in the revolution |
| CHAIN | together |
| CLAIM | songs of your ancestors |
| CLUTCH | justice |
| COMPEL | more than ordinary language ordinary action ordinary routine |
| DEADLOCK | lifelock it began with just four women millions have joined |
| DECOLONISE | with poetry |
| DEMONSTRATE | joy in inclusivity |
| DISCRIMINATE | against the recent past our future will be better |
| DIVIDE | bread among the crowd |
| ENACT | solidarity with Indigenous groups and Muslims |
| ENTER | the House of Power don’t wait for an invitation |
| EXPEL | police violence |
| FIGHT | be a part! every small protest counts The Down Troddence sing |
| FLY | like the Shaheen falcon |
| GRANT | this an open-air art gallery |
| IMAGINE | no one afraid to speak be radical in your imaginings |
| INFLICT | maximum damage to oppressive ideologies |
| INSTITUTE | the sentiments of women |
| INTRODUCE | libraries |
| LEAD | spontaneous art-making |
| MAKE | kolams |
| MOBILISE | against majoritarian bullying |
| NARRATE | your own stories |
| NOTIFY | the Dadis are singing in the streets of Shaheen Bagh the Dadis are singing in the streets of Tamil Nadu the Dadis are singing in the streets of Punjab the Dadis are singing in the streets of West Bengal the Dadis are singing in the streets of Uttar Pradesh the Dadis are singing |
| OCCUPY | walls with posters and art |
| PASS | candles |
| PLEDGE | hunger |
| POLITICISE | your visibility |
| PRAY | together |
| PROTEST | internet shutdowns, transport restrictions, curfews, systematic exclusion and killings |
| PROVE | “I can show you the names of my last seven generations” – Asma Khatun, 90 |
| READ | for revolution she will never give up reading again |
| REFUSE | to speak the language of your detractors |
| RENDER | this is the land where I was born let this be the land where I will die a child works on a poster |
| RESCUE | female students shown protecting male students from violence |
| RESIDE | in the sit-in in the strength of community |
| RESPOND | with holding your head high |
| SHRINK | not yourself, but hate |
| STATE | what is unconstitutional |
| STIPULATE | religion is not a condition of citizenship |
| TAKE | solace |
| VIOLATE | not one person or animal |
| WAIT | don’t wait for a change to come |
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