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