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Kujh keha tan hanera jarega
kiven chup reha tan shamadaan ki
kehnge



If I say something, darkness
won’t be able to bear it, but if I remain silent, what
will the candlestand say?



Surjit Patar (1945 -2024) was
never among those who keep quiet. In fact, his nightmare was to see a song die
within him while he continued to live. And so, he spoke. His actions often
spoke louder (returning the Padma Shri in 2015 to mark his protest against Government
apathy towards the growing communalisation of India) than the subtle, piercing
words of his poems. Those captured the contemporary and often turbulent
realities of Punjab from partition to rising militancy, from capitalist
commercialisation to farmers protests. 



The songs of this poet from
Pattar Kalan village in Jalandhar district that spoke for the marginalised, the
migrants, the labourers, the famers, the women, and children, have lived beyond
the night. 



The poem presented here, ‘A
carnival’, written at the time of the farmers’ protest in Delhi against the
three farm laws later repealed by the Government, is a celebration of
resilience and dissent in a democracy.

We would like to thank Dr. Surjit Singh, and research
scholar Aameen Amitoj for their precious contribution in bringing this piece on
PARI, which would not have been possible without their help.

The carnival of democracy

جمہوریت کا میلہ

ప్రజాస్వామ్య జాతర

ஜனநாயகப் பெருவிழா

ଗଣତନ୍ତ୍ରର ଉତ୍ସବ

ജനാധിപത്യത്തിന്റെ ഘോഷയാത്ര

ಒಂದು ಜಾತ್ರೆ

लोकतंत्र का मेला

लोकतंत्र के मड़ई

लोकतंत्र के मेला

গণতন্ত্রের মেলায়

গণতন্ত্ৰৰ আনন্দোৎসৱ

ਇਹ ਮੇਲਾ ਹੈ ਜਮਹੂਰੀਅਤ ਦਾ, ਸਾਂਝੀਵਾਲ਼ਤਾ ਦੇ ਜਸ਼ਨਾਂ ਦਾ

Pattar Kalan

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The carnival of democracy

A poem written during the time of the 2020-21 farmers’ protests at the gates of Delhi celebrates the spirit of resistance in a democracy. We carry this poem by people’s poet Surjit Patar from Punjab, who passed away on May 11, 2024, as a tribute to his memory

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