An-al-Haq in Faiz's revolutionary poem means Aham Brahma, says Javed Akhtar

Famous lyricist Javed Akhtar on Thursday said that those who are speaking against 'An-al-haq' in Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz's iconic poem, 'Hum dekhengey...' are speaking the language of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb.

Akhtar's statement comes after Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur set up a committee to investigate if Pakistani Faiz's poem 'Hum dekhenge', usually sung as a protest against the establishment sung as a protest, provokes anti-Hindu sentiments.

"An-al-Haq means 'Aham Brahma', this is not an Islamic thought... This was started by the Sufis. Those who are speaking against an-al-haq should know that they are speaking the language of Aurangzeb. He had the same thoughts, he cracked down on those who used term," said Akhtar.

"Now how to speak to such jaahils (illiterates) and idiots who don't understand that the term is Sufi, it is in sync with advait philosophy," he added.

The issue came on the boil after some students from IIT Kanpur held a solidarity march for the scholars of Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia University, after police cracked down on them on December 15 following anti-CAA protests.

Two days later, the protest was held at IIT Kanpur, where the protestors started with a reading of the poem.

Urdu poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz was a revolutionary, a communist and an atheist, who was jailed several times for his writings. "Hum dekhenge" remains one of his best-remembered compositions, written in 1979 against Pakistan dictator Zia-ul-Haq.

"Jab arz-e-Khuda ke Kaabe se. Sab boot uthwae jaenge. Hum ahl-e-safaa mardood-e-haram. Masnad pe bethae jaenge (When from the land of God, icons of dictatorship will be removed... We the oppressed and pure in heart will rule. The crowns will be tossed and thrones well be damaged)," reads a verse in the poem.

Akhtar stated that "calling Faiz Ahmed Faiz an 'anti-Hindu' is so absurd and funny that its difficult to seriously talk about it. He lived half his life outside Pakistan, he was called anti-Pakistan there. Faiz wrote 'Hum Dekhenge' poem against Zia ul Haq's communal, regressive and fundamentalist Government."

IIT Kanpur will reportedly take action on the basis of findings and suggestions of the panel.