New Delhi: Many of India’s most enduring patriotic songs trace their roots back to the freedom movement. Now, we have something new.
On World Music Day, 21 June, lyricist Gulzar released a new anthem, Ek Akela Hindustani, Do Mile To Hindustan. It comes as India finds itself gripped by a different kind of unrest, one shaped by communal tension, religious friction, linguistic divides and caste hierarchies.
Written by Gulzar and composed by Sourendro-Soumyojit, the musical duo known for curating and organising several major concert events that bring together multiple singers and legendary artists. It was the finale of the duo’s World Music Day Concert.
Ek Akela Hindustani, Do Mile To Hindustan brings together a wide roster of voices—Shankar Mahadevan, Hariharan, Vishal and Rekha Bhardwaj, Shilpa Rao, Anupam Roy, Kalpana Patowary, Parvathy Baul, Nikhita Gandhi and Benny Dayal.
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A song India needs
Gulzar appears in the music video, opening with the line, Ek Akela Hindustani, Do Mile To Hindustan and continuing with a short poem. Midway through the eight-minute track, he returns with another line, Desh ki jab bhi fikar karo toh bacho ka bhi zikr karo (Whenever you worry about the country, don’t forget its children), highlighting the importance of education and the idea that every child deserves access to it.
At 91, his energy is unmistakable throughout the video. Something which has been acknowledged in the comment section of the YouTube video. The video, which was released on 28 June, has almost 2 lakh views.
Listeners have drawn comparisons to Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, the iconic post-Independence unity anthem, with several suggesting this is precisely the kind of song India needs amid its current climate of division.
“There are some songs that become more than music, they become a celebration of our roots and our nation,” read a comment.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)