As Indians continue to outrage over the brutal Hathras gangrape and the subsequent Dalit oppression in India, an old video of late Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan is going viral on the social media.
In the video, Khan recites a few lines from Om Prakash Valmiki’s poem ‘Thakur ka Kuan’ (The Thakur’s Well) which is a powerful reminder of the caste divisions that still continue to exist in modern India.
Notably, the viral video is from Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) in January 2014.
He recited the verses, “Chhuula mitti ka, mitti taalaab ki, taalaab Thakur ka. Bhuuk roti ki, roti baajre ki, baajra khet ka, khet Thakur ka.. Bayl Thakur ka, hal Thakur ka, hal ke muut pe hatheli apni, fasal Thakur ki. Kuan Thakur ka, pani Thakur ka, khet-khaliyaan Thakur me. Fir apna kya? Gaao, sheher? Desh?”
Many on social media linked it to the ongoing Hathras incident saying how caste oppression is very much prevalent in India. Watch the video here:
A powerful reading by Irrfan of Om Prakash Valmiki’s iconic poem ‘Thakur Ka Kuan’. The words resonate even more strongly today. #Hathras pic.twitter.com/0Q9hSW9Fwc
— Sandeep Tamgadge (@sandeeptamgadge) October 6, 2020
The video has gone viral, with many saying how the poem is still relevant in today’s time:
#Irfankhan will be always missed not just for his acting movies but for social consciousness and great human nature. https://t.co/7BtaKfrfAr
— Amol Shinde (@Amol_Shnd) October 6, 2020
Perfect lines according to current situation of u.p that's reality of cast ism in Indias most rular areas https://t.co/sUUf7PQutg
— Salman hafeez (@Salmanh3s) October 6, 2020
Those words in that baritone.
Every letter he uttered was haunting. #Dalit #HathrasCase https://t.co/s5D3BN3Fpd
— Murukesh Krishnan (@MURUKESHK) October 7, 2020
Summary of the country as we stand today!!! https://t.co/tge4oNkWB3
— SARABJEET SINGH (@sarabjeetsj) October 7, 2020
An agnostic (?) Muslim man beautifully reciting a poem that sheds light on the violence and disenfranchisement of Dalit communities. If this is not the idea of India, I don’t know what is. #irrfankhan #Hathras https://t.co/kzXptXw62o
— Arty (@Arty_D2) October 7, 2020
What a powerful poem ❤️ https://t.co/nPAYgxE7AO
— Karthik Hebbar (@rkarthikhebbar) October 7, 2020
Every sentence of the poem is thought provoking https://t.co/NH21yDMjoq
— SaCh (@SaCh2380) October 7, 2020
My most favorite actor till date ..miss you Irfan sir
— Meena Kashyap (@MeenaKashyap9) October 6, 2020
A Dalit woman in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras died on 29 September after allegedly being gang-raped by four upper caste men on 14 September. Her death brought caste conversation into the mainstream and emphasised how caste of certain communities play a huge role in their oppression.
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