Laal Band invite the youth of Pakistan to stand up against oppression

Look out for the Laal Brigade!

Laal invite the youth of Pakistan to stand up against oppression and turn things around

Maheen Sabeeh, Karachi

Call it the rebirth of the red revolution or a change in tide in the affairs of men. But a movement is definitely on the horizon. And it is with the Laal Brigade, the brainchild of musical act Laal.

Laal, which was formed by Shahram Azhar and Taimur Rehman, is the same band that slipped into our consciousness in the days after Emergency was imposed in 2007 by then President Pervez Musharraf. They shone in the spotlight with their rendition of Habib Jalib’s ‘Mainay Ussay Yeh Kaha’ and since then their star is on the rise but for a set of entirely different reasons.

Laal Brigade, all set to be launched by the band, is a political idea, one that is aimed at the youth to step forward in the name of Pakistan. In a country that has historically been about the cult of personality politics and army dominance and dictatorships, the youth needs encouragement and this is where Laal have stepped in.

The facts speak for themselves

Our latest tryst with grim politics came out at the inaugural day of Shanaakht Festival – a festival that celebrates identity, nationalism, art and offers space for exchange of cultural ideas – where offense over a picture of the slain PPP leader Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto led to riots, gunshots and eventually the cancellation of the festival. In such an environment, Laal are really standing tall because they are galvanizing the youth towards a necessary change.

Remember, Laal is the same band that extended full support to the lawyers’ movement and the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. Like the CJ, the band too is a sign of the changing times and a symbol of the growing will to resist oppression from the powers that be.

Lead vocalist of the band, Shahram Azhar in a statement issued by the band, which can be found in the vast world of cyberspace, summed it up best:

“Dear Comrades and Friends,

In order to bring to an end the system of oppression and exploitation that is haunting our country the youth of Pakistan must stand up. Laal and its supporters have decided to form a brigade of young and enthusiastic revolutionaries committed to the emancipation of our people. The Laal Brigade will be responsible for the creation of a progressive alternative to extremism and to further the cause of the workers and peasants of Pakistan. The Laal Brigade will promote on the one hand revolutionary art forms and will give an opportunity to young artists and intellectuals who are interested in utilizing their individual talents to further the welfare of our people.

The Laal Brigade will work for the emancipation of the workers of Pakistan. Our aim is to take the message of Jalib and Faiz to every factory, every slum and every village of Pakistan and work selflessly for the promotion of their ideals. The Laal Brigade will form its units and cells in every city and every educational institution of Pakistan. In order to build a countrywide revolutionary movement, we must first and foremost learn from the historical and socio-political experience of other revolutionary movements. This requires a concrete and scientific appraisal of the most advanced revolutionary theory of our times. The Laal Brigade will answer the burning questions of our movement by building an objective understanding of our social problems.

The Laal Brigade is a call to revolution. It seeks to unify the artist, the scientist, the student and the workers and peasants under one umbrella. It is only through the unison of theory and revolutionary practice that we can build a better and prosperous Pakistan.”

Their open session for Laal Brigade, which can be joined by anyone, is this week in the capital city of Islamabad at The Civil Junction (CJ), F-7, Islamabad this Sunday at 4:00 p.m.

That means tomorrow.

The red revolution

Laal, founded by Shahram Azhar and Taimur Rahman on the ideals of Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Habib Jalib, men who stood up for fundamental rights through their writings against dictatorships in the torn history of this country, are not a fluke.

Shahram Azhar and Taimur Rehman are political activists and are members of the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party. The name Laal, meaning red, signifies their communist beliefs and this is certainly not a coincidence.

Even away from home, in the United Kingdom, Shahram and Taimur, who are academics with Marxist leanings, have been fully aware of the ground realities at home. When Emergency was imposed in Pakistan in 2007, Laal were protesting outside Downing Street with various other Pakistanis.

They refuse to compromise on their ideals and remain amongst the rare few from the musical world who have spoken out openly against injustices. This isn’t satire, it is in your-face defiance and it is here to stay.

It isn’t just on their debut album, Umeed-e-Sehar, where Laal play out the verses of progressive writers like Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Habib Jalib.

Umeed-e-Sehar was the building of a connection through something universal – music. It was the step towards a movement that Laal seem to want to take on. In divided times, where the engagement of an isolated youth in a political environment may well be the most necessary step, Laal are hoping to engage and entice young minds via their music and their activism, any and all.

In these times, this move from Laal has become even more imperative. Just two days earlier, the second edition of Shanaakht Festival – which is simply put a festival about cultural identity and a space to share ideas and bring together the young – was marred by riots over a certain picture, depicting the late Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in a not-so-positive light. Freedom of expression means that some times people will get offended. But in the case of Shanaakht, it was more than offense. The mob that hit the festival was of PPP activists, a liberal political party currently in power. In the case of Shanaakht Festival, not only has a case been filed against the organizers, Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP) but it has led to a cancellation of the festival itself. Like Laal’s music, Shanaakth too was and still is about looking forward and bringing together the youngsters of the country.

And perhaps this is why Laal’s entry into our musical landscape is such a welcome. The idea behind Laal is not to turn themselves into pop stars but use the music as a vehicle to take on the larger issues that plague this country.

Taimur Rehman, in a statement issued, explained that the band had waived royalties from the album. “Our long terms plan is that we have decided that we will only take a working wage from Laal’s performances (i.e. what sessions players earn) and the rest will go into the creation of Laal Foundation that will create schools. Our target will be to build as many schools as the Taliban burn down (that is our slogan). All members of Laal have agreed to this proposal. All of Laal’s profits will be invested into education for workers and peasants.”

In the end, Laal’s aim, it seems, is to understand and perhaps tackle the social disparity at large for the sake of a prosperous Pakistan. And in doing so, they want to actively involve the youth. It is neither idealism nor naivety. It is simply a conscious effort to rise to the challenge.

Laal are socially aware, and it is this awareness that makes them different. Laal Brigade is for anyone who believes in social change and refuses to let the fallen star die. It will be hugely interesting to see how far they go.

Source: The News International – No. 1 English Newspaper from Pakistan – Saturday, December 30, 1899