Javed Akhtar in Pakistan to attend event related to Faiz Ahmed Faiz, writer of anti-Hindu 'Hum Dekhenge' poem

The three-day event is organised by The Faiz Foundation Trust and Lahore Arts Council (LAC).

Controversial lyricist Javed Akhtar, known for his anti-BJP stands, is currently in Pakistan to attend an event related to Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz.

The three-day event is held between February 17 and 19 and organised by The Faiz Foundation Trust and Lahore Arts Council (LAC), according to a report in OpIndia. Faiz was one of the most celebrated, popular, and influential Urdu writers of his time and his works and ideas remain widely influential today in Pakistan.

However, Faiz Ahmed Faiz had also penned a poem 'Hum Dekhenge' which was aimed at minority Hindus in Pakistan in 1979. It was about doing away with idolatry and the triumph of Allah's name. . 'Jab arz-e-khuda ke Kabe se sab but uthwaye jayenge, bas naam rahega Allah ka' (Meaning: All idols will be removed and only Allah's name will prevail). The poem bats for the abolition of idols and claims Allah's supremacy.

This was recited in India during anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) protests in various places. In fact, it was played at well-known institutions like the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Notably, a viral video had shown former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Sidhu reciting the poem during the 2020 farmers' protest.

Also, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) had used the poem. Not surprisingly, leftists and liberals have always defended the poem.

In 2019, journalist Barkha Dutt had slammed those who raised objections to the poem being played at the IIT. "Omg please don't display your utter and total cultural illiteracy. That's Hum Dekhenge by Faiz Ahmed Faiz, sang to protest the military dictators in Pakistan, among others by Iqbal Bano to defy Zia. And if your problem is Faiz is Pakistani, get rid of Saare Jahan se Acha also," she tweeted.

Despite being anti-Hindu in nature, this poem is often praised by the so-called intellectuals and the left-brigade. Especially, Akhtar attending the event related to the Pakistani writer has not come as a surprise.