Of Inquilab and Saaz: The Music of Deepak Peace
Often called ‘The Indian Bob Dylan’, singer-songwriter Deepak Peace from Pune challenges and confronts listeners with contemporary political issues, turning music into a call for revolution.
There is a duality to the music of Deepak Peace, a power in its raw satire, and a healing in its articulation of the everyday concerns. His expression is both colloquial in its language, and yet, not divorced from the language of politics. Peace’s music unapologetically questions the policies and agendas of the incumbent government and mocks the hollowness of its priorities and tactics. His songs are a political commentary on themes of revolution, privilege, the issue of Kashmir, capitalism and much more—forcing the listener to reckon with issues of our contemporary times.
Hailing from Pune, Maharashtra, Peace’s latest offering is the single “Inquilab Lao Yaar”, a call for revolution, a calling out of the privileged, and a satire on their apathy to the injustices that the system that they benefit from propagates against certain sections of the society. The song is powerful in its articulation of the hard truths about today’s state of affairs in the country, where farmers are protesting on the streets and the government is unaffected by their legitimate demands. The challenging of the corporate nature of the state in the song becomes significant in light of the rampant privatisation and detachment from the legitimate concerns and interests of the ordinary citizens.
“Inquilab Lao Yaar” takes special aim at the convenience of India’s liberal class, who have a juxtaposition in their outlook of being progressive while still fighting to keep their privilges. Peace sings:
Un liberals ko mera duur se salaam jo
bahar bolte hai Jai Bhim aur ghar pe japte Jai Shri Ram,
Labour rights ke inke bhaashan aam
na dete chhuti na waajib daam us aurat ko jo inke ghar karti hai kaam
(I give a distanced salute to the liberals… they chant Jai Bhim in public and Jai Shri Ram in the privacy of their homes… their speeches on Labour rights are common and yet they do not give the minimum required wages to the domestic help).
At another point in the song, Peace powerfully emphasizes “Ye us protest se naata todte hain jo inke privilege pe karta hai vaar” (They break away from the protest that questions their privilege).
Peace is often called ‘The Indian Bob Dylan’ as his music uses political metaphors and powerful lyrics to reflect with subtle satire on the conditions of the times. He first came upon the scene with the 2014 track “FTII (protest song)”. It was following the success of that song sung during the protest that he professionally entered the Indian music scene.
Peace’s songs are generally accompanied by guitar and harmonica that add vigour to the music and make the call for Inquilab—revolution—all the more powerful and spirited. The titular track of his 2019 release 1947 se AK-47 Tak is a vehement satire on the politics of war and violence that the Indian state has engaged in from time to time since independence. The ballad “Freedom of Speech”—from the same album—satirises the majoritarian, jingoist sentiment that has seeped into the everyday outlook of common citizens so much so that the freedom to voice one’s opinion in the face of hyper nationalism is met with suppression and hatred.
Peace appropriates the narrative of the state, completely reverses it in order to reclaim the freedoms and identities that the state wishes to erase or dilute. He transforms these narratives into deep, cutting satire.
Many of Peace’s songs combine the personal with the political and the satirical lyrics with the powerful presentation of the reality. The underlying themes of most of his songs offer a critique of the dominant order of the society that is oppressive, grinding and stifling. His songs celebrate freedom and resistance and question the system that curtails this freedom of thought, expression, freedom to love and the right to live with dignity.
This is evident in “Political Pyaar” from 1947 se AK-47 Tak. Peace critiques fabrications of all kinds, from fake selfies and fake news. The line, “Jab sach sach nahi aur jhoot ho qaida” (when truth is no longer the truth and untruth is the rule), becomes the central theme of the ballad, speaking for our times with clarity and confidence. The “Ballad of Irom Sharmila” from 1947 Se AK-47 Tak, is also an evocative piece of music that not just pays its tribute to Irom Sharmila and her struggle against AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act) but also mocks a society that could not and did not value her struggle against the powers that be. The album as a whole palpates with anger, satire, hope and despair, all at the same time.
Peace had taken an even more defiant and politically-charged role in his 2017 album Aaj Ke Naam, which includes songs like “Hey Mr. Prime Minister”, calling out the incumbent PM to be accountable for his actions and for his detachment from the real concerns of real people. The unkept promises and the unfulfilled dreams of crores of citizens is lamented in the lyrics exposing the distorted priorities of the current government: “Hey Mr. Prime Minister tum ho kahan, ek aur jhoota khwaab marne ko yahan (Hey Mr. Prime Minister where are you, another false dream is about to die here).” Peace has also addressed the everyday tyranny that people in Kashmir have to constantly face and suffer and how the ordinary, everyday lives are completely disrupted by the repressive state forces in “Kashmir Ki Kali”, another marriage of the personal and the political.
“Koi Chara” masterfully captures the tactics of mainstream media who sell government propaganda in the garb of news. Further, the idea of corporatisation of newspapers where advertisements are seen more often than relevant news is very cleverly presented in just a line or two:
TV laga hai sar ki jagah, fatafat 100 main kya kya dikha
dekh mere andar deshbhakt jagah, saare akhbaar ad se bharay,
bachi jagah mein kuch log the mare
(TV has replaced the contemplating mind, in a 100 news items a lot was seen, the patriot in me arose, all the newspapers are full of advertisements and in the remaining space some people died).
The track meticulously presents the plight of an ordinary citizen who feels helpless in the face of media, political party manipulation as well as capitalist exploitation.
Other songs from Aaj Ke Naam such as “Bhagat Singh” and “Anti-National Hero” further pose a challenge to the state narrative by articulating dissent. The titles of the songs are contemporary and urgent as are the lyrics. The use of guitar and harmonica further adds an urgency to the narrative of the ballads, encouraging the listener to actually contemplate on the socio-political realities of our times.
Peace’s music is raw and urgently political in nature, adding an undaunting quality to his songs with intrepid lyrics and a dynamic performance of his instruments. His songs are a direct challenge to not just the incumbent government and their undemocratic policies and laws, but also to the established order of caste, class and capitalism.
Peace appropriates the narrative of the state, completely reverses it in order to reclaim the freedoms and identities that the state wishes to erase or dilute. He transforms these narratives into deep, cutting satire. Perhaps there is no better way to encapsulate the power and relevance of Peace’s music than by reiterating the rallying call: Inquilab Lao Yaar! Bring on the revolution.
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Hunardeep Kaur is a student of English Literature at Lady Shri Ram College for Women. Her writings have been published in Catharsis Magazine, Gulmohar Quarterly and Live Wire. You can find her on Instagram: @khunar__09.
