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Safdar Hashmi
Safdar Hashmi
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Safdar Hashmi (12 April 1954 – 2 January 1989) was an Indian communist playwright and director, best known for his work with street theatre in India. He was also an actor, lyricist, and theorist, and he is still considered an important voice in Indian political theatre.[1] He was an activist of the Students' Federation of India (SFI).[2]

Key Information

He was a founding member of Jana Natya Manch (People's Theatre Front; JANAM for short) in 1973, which grew out of the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA). He was murdered in 1989 in Jhandapur, while performing a street play, Halla Bol.[3]

Early life

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Safdar Hashmi was born on 12 April 1954 in Delhi,[4] to Haneef and Qamar Azad Hashmi. He spent the early part of his life in Delhi and Aligarh, where he grew up in a liberal environment, and went on to complete his schooling in Delhi. He was the brother of activists Shabnam Hashmi and Sohail Hashmi, and actress Saba Azad is his niece.[5]

Hashmi graduated from St. Stephen's College, Delhi with a degree in English Literature, and went on to complete his M.A. in English from Delhi University.[6] During this period, he became associated with the cultural unit of the Students' Federation of India, the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and eventually with the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA). In the years before and after his graduation, he worked on several plays with IPTA, such as Kimlesh, and Dekhte Lena.[7]

Career and activism

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The issue is not where the play is performed (and street theatre is only a mode of ensuring that art is available to the people), but the principal issue is the 'definite and unresolvable contradiction between the bourgeois individualist view of art and the people's collectivist view of art'.
- Safdar Hashmi, The Enchanted Arch, Or the Individual and Collective Views of Art (April 1983), The Right to Perform, pp. 28–29[8]

Hashmi co-founded the Jana Natya Manch (People's Theatre Front), with the acronym JANAM ("birth" in Hindi), in 1973. JANAM grew out of the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA)[9] and was associated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist), with which he was actively involved in the 1970s.[8] When Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was accused of rigging the elections, he produced a street play, Kursi, Kursi, Kursi (Chair, Chair, Chair), as a reaction to the controversy.[10] The play narrates the story of a king whose throne moves with him when he attempts to give it up in favour of an elected representative. The play was performed every day for a week, at the Boat Club Lawns in New Delhi, then a hub of political activity. It proved to be a turning point for JANAM.[11]

Until 1975, JANAM performed open-air proscenium and street plays for mass audiences. When Indira Gandhi imposed a state of emergency and made political theatre difficult, Hashmi began to work as a lecturer in English literature in universities in Garhwal, Kashmir, and Delhi.[6]

When the Emergency ended in 1977, he returned to political activism, and in 1978, JANAM took to street theatre in a big way with Machine, which was performed for a trade union meeting of over 200,000 workers on 20 November 1978.[8] This was followed by plays on the distress of small peasants (Gaon Se Shahar Tak), on clerical fascism (Hatyare & Apharan Bhaichare Ke), on unemployment (Teen Crore), on violence against women (Aurat) and on inflation (DTC ki Dhandhli). Hashmi also produced several documentaries and a TV serial for Doordarshan, including Khilti Kaliyan (Flowers in Bloom), which examined rural empowerment. He also wrote books for children and criticism of the Indian stage.[8][12]

Hashmi was the de facto director of JANAM, and prior to his death, it gave about 4,000 performances of 24 street plays, mostly in working-class neighbourhoods, factories and workshops.[13] Hashmi was a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the largest communist party in India.[14]

In 1979, he married his comrade and theatre actress, Moloyshree. Later, he worked for the Press Trust of India (PTI) and The Economic Times as a journalist, and then became Press Information Officer of the Government of West Bengal in Delhi.[15] In 1984, he gave up his job and devoted himself full-time to political activism.[16]

Hashmi’s output includes two proscenium plays – an adaptation of Maxim Gorky's Enemies (1983) and Moteram ka Satyagraha (with Habib Tanvir, 1988) – many songs, a television series script, poems and plays for children, and documentary films. While committed to radical, popular, and left-wing art, Hashmi refrained from clichéd portrayals, and was not afraid of formal experimentation.

Murder

[edit]

On 1 January 1989, the JANAM troupe began a performance of the street play Halla Bol (Raise Your Voice!), during the Ghaziabad municipal elections in Sahibabad's Jhandapur village (near Delhi). During the performance, the troupe was allegedly attacked by Indian National Congress workers.[17] Hashmi was fatally injured following the scuffle and died the following day. On 4 January 1989, two days after his death, his wife Moloyshree Hashmi went to the same spot again with the JANAM troupe, and defiantly completed the play.[18]

Fourteen years after the incident, a Ghaziabad local court convicted ten people, including Congress Party member Mukesh Sharma, for the murder.[19]

Legacy

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Classical Singer Vidya Shah is Performing for Sahmat. 1 January 2011, New-Delhi.

Hashmi has become a symbol of cultural resistance against authoritarianism for the Indian Left. JANAM continues its theatre work, and on 12 April 2012, Hashmi's birthday, the group inaugurated Studio Safdar, a performance and workshop space located in Shadi Khampur, near Patel Nagar in Central Delhi. The space is next door to a left-wing cafe and bookstore, May Day.[20] The writer Bhisham Sahni, along with many other artists, founded the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (SAHMAT) in February 1989,[21] as an open platform for politically and socially conscious artists. Hashmi's writings were later collected in The Right to Perform: Selected Writings of Safdar Hashmi (New Delhi, 1989).

Each year on 1 January, the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Day is observed as a "Day of Resolve" by SAHMAT, and a daylong cultural congregation, "Jashn-e-Daura", is organised in New Delhi.[22] The day is also commemorated by JANAM, which organises street plays at Jhandapur village, in Sahibabad, where he was killed.[23][24][25]

In 1998, Safdar Hashmi Natyasangham was formed in Kozhikode, Kerala, which provides free training to economically backward students.[26]

The 2003 film Anbe Sivam, made by Sundar C, and the 2008 film Halla Bol, made by Rajkumar Santoshi, were inspired by his life. The latter also depicts a scene where a street theatre activist is beaten by men hired by a political party, an incident which turns into a catalyst for a public uprising.[27]

In 1989, the painter M.F. Husain had a painting "Tribute to Hashmi" sold at auction for over $1 million,[28] the first time a painting by an Indian artist reached this valuation.[29]

The 2020 book Halla Bol: The Death and Life of Safdar Hashmi by Sudhanva Deshpande recounts the events leading up to the attack on Jana Natya Manch's performance of the play Halla Bol in Jhandapur on 1 January 1989, in which Safdar sustained fatal injuries.[30] It also discusses Safdar's work.

The Institute for Research and Documentation in Social Sciences (IRDS), a non-governmental organisation from Lucknow, has been awarding the Safdar Hashmi Award for Human Rights in reverence to his contributions to the cause of human rights.[31] A street in Mandi House, New Delhi was named after Safdar Hashmi.[32]

Further reading

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References

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Safdar Hashmi

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Safdar Hashmi (12 April 1954 – 2 January 1989) was an Indian playwright, theatre director, actor, poet, and communist activist renowned for developing as a medium for political agitation and workers' mobilization. Born in to journalist parents Haneef and Qamar Hashmi, he completed an M.A. in English literature from , before dedicating his career to . In 1973, at age 19, Hashmi co-founded Jana Natya Manch (Janam), a proletarian theatre troupe rooted in the tradition, which staged over 5,000 performances of plays addressing , communalism, and . His notable works included (1978), critiquing industrial exploitation, and (1989), supporting a local union election, performed directly in working-class areas without stages or amplification to foster direct audience engagement. On 1 January 1989, while performing in Jhandapur, (near ), Hashmi and his Janam troupe were assaulted by a mob of approximately 50 men wielding lathis and stones, reportedly affiliated with the local party unit opposing the communist-backed union. Hashmi sustained fatal head injuries and died the next day at age 34, prompting widespread protests against toward artists and a landmark conviction of 14 assailants in 2003 after prolonged legal battles. His martyrdom galvanized the movement, with 12 April observed annually as National Street Theatre Day in , and inspired ongoing cultural resistance through groups like Studio Safdar.

Early Life and Education

Family Background and Childhood

Safdar Hashmi was born on April 12, 1954, in , , to Haneef Hashmi and Qamar Azad Hashmi. His father, a leftist activist who operated a furniture , and his mother, a school teacher, provided a politically engaged household environment. The family had roots in Jamiat ul Ulema-i-Hind, an organization that opposed the Muslim League's partition advocacy, reflecting an anti-separatist stance amid pre-independence tensions. Hashmi spent his early childhood divided between Delhi and Aligarh, where familial ties and his father's work likely influenced daily life, before completing his schooling in . This peripatetic upbringing exposed him to diverse regional contexts in northern during the post-independence , a period marked by economic reorganization and leftist mobilization. His mother's educational role and the household's progressive leanings fostered an early interest in literature and social issues, though specific childhood anecdotes remain sparsely documented beyond familial memoirs.

Academic Pursuits and Early Influences


Safdar Hashmi enrolled at , in 1970, graduating with a in English literature in 1975 before completing a in English from . After his formal education, he held brief teaching positions at Zakir Husain College in Delhi and at universities in Garhwal, , and , while also serving as a press information officer at the West Bengal Information Centre in . Born on April 12, 1954, in to Haneef Hashmi, a leftist scholar with a doctorate from the who had settled in , and Qamar Azad Hashmi, a schoolteacher, Hashmi grew up in a Marxist-leaning household that emphasized progressive values. His childhood, partly spent in before schooling in , exposed him to intellectual and political discussions that shaped his worldview. During his university years, Hashmi's early influences deepened through active engagement with student politics and theater. He joined the (SFI), the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and became involved with the (IPTA), fostering his commitment to using art for social and political mobilization. These affiliations, alongside family encouragement to pursue elite education despite his inclinations toward activism, catalyzed his transition from academic pursuits to full-time cultural and political work.

Artistic Career

Formation of Jana Natya Manch

Jana Natya Manch, commonly known as Janam ("birth" in ), was formally established in 1973 in by a of radical student activists from the (SFI), with Safdar Hashmi, then aged 19, as a key founding member. The group originated as a cultural extension of SFI activities, linked to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and sought to broaden political outreach beyond academic settings by deploying among workers, peasants, youth, and women. Influenced by the legacy of the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA), Janam's formation reflected a deliberate shift toward democratizing , rejecting confines in favor of street performances tailored for amid India's socio-economic challenges of the early 1970s, including rising inflation, , and . Hashmi articulated this impetus in a 1988 , noting the realization that cultural work "could not remain confined to the discipline of SFI… needed to work among the working classes." The troupe's early efforts emphasized agitprop-style plays performed on makeshift platforms or in factories, with its debut street production, Machine (1973), dramatizing contradictions of capitalist exploitation to engage trade union audiences like those affiliated with the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU). This foundational approach positioned Janam as a tool for protest against class, caste, and gender hierarchies, prioritizing direct accessibility over conventional artistic venues.

Key Theatrical Works and Innovations


Safdar Hashmi directed and co-wrote numerous street plays with Jana Natya Manch, emphasizing socio-economic injustices through concise, agitprop formats. His seminal work Machine (1978), co-authored with Rakesh Saxena, critiqued factory exploitation amid labor struggles, lasting 13 minutes and staged in circular formations with audiences encircling performers to heighten immersion. Aurat (1979) addressed gender discrimination and women's lived oppressions via poetic abstraction, performed over 2,000 times to connect with emerging feminist movements. Other notable street plays included Kursi, Kursi, Kursi (circa 1978), a response to Emergency-era authoritarianism satirizing power concentration, and Halla Bol (1988), crafted for electoral mobilization to rally workers against local strongmen, which Hashmi was performing at the time of his assault. Samrath Ko Nahi Dosh Gosain (1987) lampooned inflation and public distribution failures, incorporating songs for rhythmic critique, while Raja Ka Baja (1988) highlighted unemployment through character-driven narratives. In proscenium theater, Hashmi adapted Maxim Gorky's Enemies (1983), exploring class conflict, and co-adapted Munshi Premchand's Moteram ka Satyagraha (1988) with Habib Tanvir, a musical satire exposing religious hypocrisy and governance failures. Hashmi's innovations revitalized street theater as a tool for political agitation, shifting from proscenium stages post-1977 Emergency to mobile, low-cost performances devoid of sets, lasting 10-15 minutes, and blending Brechtian montage, caricature, and folk elements like songs for direct audience provocation. This form prioritized mobilization over spectacle, enabling over 4,000 performances by 1989 in factories, slums, and rallies to incite collective action among laborers. His approach integrated trade union inputs for relevance, fostering a participatory aesthetic that traced roots to indigenous traditions while adapting Western agitprop for Indian contexts.

Political Engagement

Affiliation with Communist Party of India (Marxist)

Safdar Hashmi joined the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) in 1976, following his involvement in left-wing during his university years. His membership reflected a deep integration of artistic practice with Marxist ideology, as he viewed theater as a tool for proletarian mobilization rather than detached cultural expression. Prior to formal membership, Hashmi co-founded the Jana Natya Manch (Janam) in 1973, a street theater collective that aligned closely with CPI(M) principles, evolving from earlier associations with the (IPTA) toward explicit allegiance to the party. Within the CPI(M), Hashmi's role emphasized cultural agitation, leveraging Janam's performances to propagate party lines on , , and class struggle, often in direct support of efforts and electoral outreach. By 1984, he transitioned to full-time commitment to these activities, forgoing salaried employment to focus on theater that embodied the party's Leninist emphasis on mass-line . This affiliation positioned Janam as an unofficial cultural arm of the CPI(M) in , with Hashmi serving as a key cadre who bridged intellectual theory and intervention, though the party structure did not formally designate him in elected or committee roles beyond local . His work prioritized street-level mobilization over institutional hierarchy, aligning with CPI(M)'s broader strategy of embedding cultural fronts within political fronts.

Role of Theater in Electoral and Social Campaigns

Jana Natya Manch, under Safdar Hashmi's leadership, deployed street theater as a tool for direct political mobilization during Communist Party of India (Marxist) electoral campaigns, performing short, plays in working-class locales to advocate specific voting choices. In early 1974, the play Bharat Bhagya Vidhata toured amid state assembly elections, staging 35 performances that explicitly urged audiences to support CPI and CPI(M) candidates by critiquing mainstream parties and highlighting class interests. Hashmi described the production's intent plainly: "We wanted the people to vote Communist." Crowds in areas like swelled to 15,000 initially and up to 35,000 by later shows, demonstrating theater's capacity to draw mass turnout in rural and semi-urban settings without formal venues. This approach extended to later cycles, as seen in the January 1989 performance of in Jhandapur, , explicitly backing a CPI(M) contender for Ghaziabad Municipal Council amid local polls. The 20-minute play, enacted on a makeshift cart for factory workers, dramatized resistance to exploitation and called for unified action behind the party's slate, aligning with Janam's pattern of integrating performances with union networks for amplified reach. Such efforts prioritized Hindi-speaking northern , where Janam's accessibility—eschewing proscenium stages for open-air agitation—facilitated rapid deployment in Hindi-belt constituencies. Beyond elections, Hashmi's theater served social campaigns by framing plays as "militant political theatre of protest" aimed at agitating masses toward concrete demands like and anti-exploitation struggles. Machine, premiered in 1978 post-Emergency, reenacted a 1977 police firing at Harig Factory that killed six workers, performed repeatedly in industrial belts to rally against capitalist violence and bolster drives. Similarly, Bakri (1974) critiqued rural inequities through 50 shows in union-aligned villages and slums, fostering democratic movements by linking cultural intervention to organizing. These productions, often 10-20 minutes long and Brecht-influenced for audience interaction, targeted factories, strikes, and communal flashpoints, prioritizing causal critique of socioeconomic oppression over abstract artistry.

The Jhandapur Incident

Prelude to the Performance

In late 1988, workers in Sahibabad's industrial area, including the Site IV locality near Jhandapur, had launched a significant demanding better wages, working conditions, and recognition of their unions, organized under the (CITU), the labor arm of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Jana Natya Manch (Janam), a Delhi-based group affiliated with CPI(M) cultural fronts, had previously staged "Chakka Jam" to support this agitation, highlighting themes of labor exploitation and the need for collective action. As the strike's aftermath lingered into December, with unresolved grievances fueling ongoing unrest, Janam revised the play into "" ("Raise the Alarm"), a 30-minute piece depicting owners colluding with local muscle to suppress workers, urging resistance through unity and strikes. Safdar Hashmi, Janam's founder and convenor, coordinated the troupe's outreach to industrial pockets around Delhi-Ghaziabad to sustain momentum for CITU's demands, aligning with the group's practice of deploying theatre for proletarian mobilization during labor disputes and electoral campaigns. The January 1, 1989, performance in Jhandapur—a workers' colony in Sahibabad's peri-urban fringe—was specifically intended to rally support for these issues while bolstering a local CPI(M)-backed candidate contesting municipal elections against entrenched interests in Ghaziabad's city council. Local tensions were high, as the area hosted factories prone to disputes and was influenced by strongmen linked to the ruling Congress party, who reportedly viewed such performances as threats to their control over labor votes. On —a Sunday, with many workers off-duty—the 15-member Janam troupe, including Hashmi, his wife Moloyashree Hashmi, and actors like Ajay Joshi, traveled from to Jhandapur via , carrying minimal props like a red banner and drums for the proscenium-free street format. They selected an open space in the labor colony, expecting a crowd of 200-300 from nearby factories, as CITU locals had publicized the event through word-of-mouth among union members. Hashmi, aged 34 and experienced in such interventions, began rehearsing cues with the group upon arrival around 11 a.m., undeterred by the holiday timing, which Janam saw as opportune for drawing idle workers. The prelude reflected Janam's ideological commitment to theatre as a tool for class struggle, rooted in CPI(M)'s broader strategy amid the 1989 national elections, though primary accounts from participants emphasize labor solidarity over partisan polling.

Details of the Attack

On January 1, 1989, Safdar Hashmi and members of the Jana Natya Manch (Janam) theatre troupe were performing the street play in Jhandapur village, , , , to support the candidate in ongoing municipal elections and to rally local workers against exploitation. The performance drew an initial audience of around 200-300 residents, but as it progressed, a mob of approximately 50-100 men, armed with sticks, lathis, and firearms, arrived and disrupted the event, reportedly objecting to the play's pro-labor message. The confrontation escalated rapidly when the attackers, led by individuals including Mukesh Sharma, surrounded the performers and began assaulting them with lathis and stones. Hashmi instructed his fellow actors to disperse and flee for safety, isolating himself in the process; he was then beaten severely on the head and body, sustaining critical injuries including multiple fractures and internal trauma. During the violence, a local resident and named Ram Bahadur, who was not part of the troupe but intervened to protect the performers, was shot dead at by one of the assailants. Injured performers, including Hashmi, sought refuge at a nearby Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) office, but the mob pursued them there, continuing the attack and further brutalizing Hashmi, who was left unconscious and bleeding profusely from head wounds. The assault lasted approximately 20-30 minutes, dispersing only after locals and additional actors began to gather; Hashmi was rushed to a in but succumbed to his injuries the following day on January 2, 1989. No immediate police intervention occurred during the incident, with first responders arriving post-assault.

Immediate Aftermath and Death

Following the attack on January 1, 1989, Safdar Hashmi sustained severe head injuries from repeated blows with iron rods, including multiple skull fractures and brain haemorrhage. He was initially rushed to a nearby (CITU) office in Jhandapur, where the assailants pursued and continued the assault, before being transported to Narendra Mohan Hospital in Ghaziabad. Later that day, he was shifted to Hospital in for advanced treatment, but succumbed to his injuries at 10:00 a.m. on , 1989, at the age of 34. A bystander, labourer Ram Bahadur, was killed instantly during the violence. In defiance, members of Jana Natya Manch (Janam) returned to Jhandapur on January 3—hours after Hashmi's death—and completed the interrupted street play before a large crowd, symbolizing unbroken commitment to their cause. Hashmi's death elicited widespread condemnation and solidarity across , transcending political lines, with protests, marches, and statements from artists, intellectuals, and trade unions decrying the violence against cultural activists. His on January 3 drew over 500 participants initially, swelling to thousands over a 10-mile route through , marked by placards and portraits.

Investigation and Charges

Following the attack on January 1, 1989, in Jhandapur village, , , local police initiated an investigation into the assault on Safdar Hashmi and his troupe during a street play performance. Four individuals, including Mukesh Sharma—a local Party leader and rival candidate in the Ghaziabad municipal elections—were arrested within days and charged with murder under Section 302 of the (), rioting under Section 147 , and related offenses. The probe established that the attackers, armed with sticks, lathis, and stones, were mobilized by Sharma to halt the pro-Communist Party of India (Marxist) campaign play , which supported opposing candidate Ramanand Jha. Eyewitness accounts from Janam members and villagers corroborated the sequence, leading to the identification of additional perpetrators and expansion of charges to include and voluntarily causing grievous hurt under IPC Sections 149 and 325, respectively. In total, 12 persons were formally charged, comprising Sharma as the prime accused alongside Devi Sharan Sharma, Jitendra, Ram Autar, Vinod, Yunus Ali, Bhagat Bahadur, Tahir, Ramesh, , Suresh, and others linked to the Congress-backed group. The investigation underscored political motivations tied to electoral rivalry but encountered early hurdles, including alleged witness intimidation and procedural delays attributed to local power dynamics and criminalization of politics in the region.

Trial Outcomes and Convictions

In November 2003, after a 14-year trial, Additional District and Sessions Judge Chandra Deo Rai of the Ghaziabad court convicted ten individuals in connection with Safdar Hashmi's murder during the Jhandapur incident. The convicted included leader Mukesh Sharma, Saran Sharma, and eight others identified as Jitendra, Ramautar, Vinod, Yunus, Bhagat Bahadur, Tahir, and Ramesh. Nine of the accused were found guilty under Section 302 of the for murder, along with charges of rioting under Section 147 and unlawful assembly under Section 149, while the tenth was convicted on the lesser charges of rioting and . On November 5, 2003, the court sentenced all ten convicts to for the charges, with an additional one-year term for rioting and a fine of Rs. 25,000 each. The proceedings had initially involved 13 accused, but two had died prior to the verdict. The delay in reaching a conclusion was attributed to procedural hurdles and the of , though the court emphasized the severity of the offense in justifying the sentences. No immediate overturning of the convictions was reported in contemporaneous accounts, marking the trial's outcome as a rare instance of accountability in politically motivated violence cases from the era. The verdicts were welcomed by Hashmi's associates in the Communist Party of India (Marxist) as validation of eyewitness testimonies and evidence from the 1989 attack.

Controversies and Viewpoints

Interpretations of the Murder's Motivations

The murder of Safdar Hashmi on January 1, 1989, is predominantly interpreted as a direct outcome of electoral rivalry in the Ghaziabad municipal elections set for January 10, 1989. Jan Natya Manch, Hashmi's theatre troupe, staged the street play Halla Bol in Jhandapur's workers' colony to rally support for Ramanand Jha, a candidate endorsed by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and aligned with the Communist Party of India (Marxist), opposing Mukesh Sharma, an independent backed by the Indian National Congress (I). The play's satire on political corruption and its appeal to workers against exploitation mobilized a large audience near Ambedkar Park, posing an immediate threat to Sharma's local dominance. Mukesh Sharma, alarmed by the play's influence, dispatched armed associates—including Devi Sharan, Tahir, Yunus Ali, and others—to halt the performance, employing lathis, iron rods, and firearms in the assault. This action is seen as a calculated effort to intimidate left-wing activists and suppress cultural interventions that could sway voter sentiment during the contest for ward-level office-bearers. The Ghaziabad trial court's 2003 ruling convicted ten perpetrators, including Sharma, sentencing them to and attributing the violence to a political vendetta rooted in disrupting opposition . Analyses frame the incident as a manifestation of ' criminal underbelly in , where street theatre's role in electoral agitation clashed with muscle-backed local elites, leading to lethal suppression rather than democratic contestation. Empirical accounts, including eyewitness testimonies and forensic evidence presented in court, reinforce this causal link without substantiation for alternative drivers like intra-communist factionalism or unrelated personal grudges.

Critiques of Hashmi's Activism and Ideology

Critiques of Hashmi's activism have centered on its overt partisanship and use of theater as a vehicle for Communist Party of India (Marxist) electoral mobilization. Janam plays, such as those performed during municipal elections in in December 1988, explicitly urged audiences to support CPI(M) candidates, prompting accusations from political opponents and theater observers that Hashmi's work functioned as disguised propaganda rather than neutral cultural expression. For instance, the troupe's production in Jhandapur on January 1, 1989, was staged to rally voters for a CPI(M)-backed leader against a rival, leading rivals to view such interventions as inflammatory class-based agitation that exacerbated local tensions rather than fostering dialogue. Within theater circles, practitioners have faulted Hashmi's approach for prioritizing political messaging over aesthetic rigor, resulting in simplified narratives that relied on stereotypes and neglected complex character development. Javed Mallick, in a 1996 panel discussion, argued that street theater like Janam's, when form is subordinated to propaganda, becomes "clichéd and the message comes across very poorly," lacking the vitality of folk traditions or proscenium drama. Similarly, critics such as Badal Sircar emphasized technique over content, contrasting Hashmi's "political pronouncement" style—which Hashmi defended as necessary for semi-literate workers—with more formally innovative works, deeming it thematically shallow and aesthetically inferior. Ranjini Mazumdar further critiqued such partisan vanguardism for assuming audience passivity, turning performances into monologic assertions of class identity rather than interactive conscientization. Hashmi's Marxist ideology, which framed art as a tool for proletarian mobilization and critique of capitalism, drew charges of gross bias from metropolitan intellectuals who saw it as an outdated "intellectual fetish" under liberalizing India, ignoring broader social dynamics beyond class struggle. Participants in workshops linked to CPI(M) affiliates dismissed street theater as "Party work" rather than genuine art, arguing it compromised creative depth by focusing on immediate agitation over enduring aesthetic or philosophical inquiry. These views, often from within leftist theater networks, highlight a tension: while Hashmi's commitment to causal class analysis aimed at empirical worker empowerment, detractors contended it fostered divisive rhetoric, as evidenced by plays like Machine (1987), which portrayed industrial exploitation in stark, agitprop terms without nuance for managerial or market realities.

Legacy and Impact

Continuation of Janam's Work

Following Safdar Hashmi's death on January 2, 1989, Jana Natya Manch (Janam) resumed activities almost immediately, with his widow and fellow troupe member Moloyashree Hashmi leading the group back to the attack site in Jhandapur, , on the morning of January 4. There, they completed the interrupted performance of the street play before a crowd of thousands, including artists, activists, and workers, symbolizing defiance against and commitment to public theatre. This act galvanized national solidarity, prompting widespread protests and cultural responses. Janam established an annual tradition of returning to on January 1 to stage street plays, often in collaboration with local trade unions like the (CITU) and workers from industrial areas, commemorating Hashmi while addressing ongoing labor and social issues. These performances, held at the site of the 1989 attack, have continued uninterrupted, reinforcing Janam's focus on for proletarian audiences. Under Moloyashree Hashmi's leadership as president, Janam sustained its mandate of and theatre, producing works critiquing exploitation, communalism, and , while training new actors from working-class backgrounds. The group supported infrastructure like Studio Safdar, a rehearsal space in established in Hashmi's memory to host Janam and similar activist troupes, enabling sustained outreach to slums and factories. By the , Janam had expanded to over 8,000 performances across , maintaining its roots in spontaneous, site-specific interventions despite challenges from and .

Broader Cultural and Memorial Influence

The formation of the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (SAHMAT) in February 1989, immediately following Hashmi's death, established a enduring platform for cultural in his name, uniting artists, writers, poets, musicians, and intellectuals to safeguard freedom of expression and oppose communal forces threatening India's secular fabric. SAHMAT has since produced collaborative projects that leverage diverse artistic traditions, fostering across generations and disciplines to counter political and cultural erosion. Notable SAHMAT initiatives include the January 1991 Artists Against Communalism event, which mobilized performers from India's folk and classical traditions to protest rising , and more recent exhibitions such as the 2022 "Citizenship as Resistance: Exploring the Meaning of 'Azadi' Beyond Slogans," reflecting on constitutional freedoms amid debates, and the May 2024 "Moments in Collapse," critiquing rapid societal shifts through visual art. In May 2025, SAHMAT curated India's largest solidarity art exhibition, featuring 140 works by global artists emphasizing resistance and identity themes. These efforts have sustained Hashmi's vision of art as a communal tool for , influencing public discourse on pluralism. Hashmi's innovations in , particularly through Jana Natya Manch (Janam), revitalized nukkad natak (street plays) in the 1970s as an accessible medium for workers' mobilization, emphasizing collective scriptwriting, minimal props, and direct audience engagement to challenge exploitation and state repression. This approach, rooted in proletarian traditions, has permeated Indian activism, enabling troupes to stage impromptu performances during strikes, protests, and emergencies like the 1975–1977 , and inspiring ongoing use in labor and campaigns. His legacy extends to broader cultural resistance, with annual commemorations on January 2—marking his death—featuring performances and discussions that reinforce theatre's role in democratic struggle.

References

  1. http://sahmat.in/aboutsafdar.html
  2. https://theprint.in/theprint-profile/safdar-hashmi-the-firebrand-communist-playwright-who-redefined-art-of-resistance-in-india/343494/
  3. https://www.studiosafdar.org/jana-natya-manch
  4. https://mapacademy.io/street-theatre-as-a-form-of-protest-safdar-hashmi-and-janam/
  5. https://peoplesdemocracy.in/2020/0103_pd/safdar-hashmi%25E2%2580%2599s-life-and-death
  6. https://frontline.thehindu.com/social-issues/article30220098.ece
  7. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/30-yrs-after-safdar-hashmi-s-death-his-legacy-lives-on/story-2jlyjvSTWxWH1l8ijguwrI.html
  8. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/features/the-luminous-life-of-safdar-hashmi-70137/
  9. https://www.studiosafdar.org/safdar-hashmi
  10. https://www.huffpost.com/archive/in/entry/book-review-halla-bol-the-death-and-life-of-safdar-hashmi_in_5e33d127c5b69a19a4ace248
  11. https://www.hindustantimes.com/books/reviewsafdar-hashmi-towards-theatre-for-a-democracy-by-anjum-katyal-101727460932175.html
  12. https://kids.kiddle.co/Safdar_Hashmi
  13. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/features/remembering-safdar-hashmi-and-his-contributions-to-the-artistic-world/articleshow/75077208.cms
  14. https://www.dailypioneer.com/2016/state-editions/remembering-theatre-actor-safdar-hashmi.html
  15. https://www.facebook.com/cpimcc/posts/cpim-remembers-comrade-safdar-hashmisafdar-hashmi-was-born-to-haneef-hashmi-and-/1686037611567912/
  16. https://www.critical-stages.org/26/performing-solidarity-50-years-of-jana-natya-manch/
  17. https://frontline.thehindu.com/arts-and-culture/india-at-75-epochal-moments-1973-janam-is-formed/article65725272.ece
  18. https://scroll.in/magazine/825686/remembering-safdar-hashmi-and-the-play-that-changed-indian-street-theatre-forever
  19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZMhLeN6RLc
  20. https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/theatre/a-strike-on-hypocrisy/article3918175.ece
  21. https://indiatogether.org/hashmi-society
  22. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4404300
  23. https://frontline.thehindu.com/social-issues/article30220114.ece
  24. https://www.civilsocietyonline.com/books-authors/the-halla-bol-world-of-safdar-hashmi/
  25. https://www.dawn.com/news/1305991
  26. https://www.facebook.com/cpimcc/posts/cpi-m-remembers-comrade-safdar-hashmiborn-on-april-12-1954-in-delhi-safdar-did-a/841524509352564/
  27. https://theprint.in/pageturner/excerpt/safdar-hashmis-first-major-play-wanted-people-to-vote-communist-thousands-turned-up-in-up/2146086/
  28. https://countercurrents.org/2019/08/history-of-street-plays-in-india-an-ongoing-social-movement/
  29. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4488692
  30. https://www.livemint.com/news/business-of-life/halla-bol-of-the-people-by-the-people-1540580141297.html
  31. https://frontline.thehindu.com/arts-and-culture/cinema/article30203290.ece
  32. https://frontline.thehindu.com/arts-and-culture/jana-natya-manch-celebrates-half-a-century-of-performing-resistance/article65430171.ece
  33. https://homegrown.co.in/homegrown-creators/the-death-of-an-artist-how-safdar-hashmi-pioneered-street-theatre-as-an-act-of-protest
  34. https://peoplesdemocracy.in/2019/0106_pd/safdar%25E2%2580%2599s-legacy-struggle
  35. https://caravanmagazine.in/arts/safdar-killing-touched-raw-nerve-in-country
  36. https://peoplesdemocracy.in/2018/0107_pd/safdar-hashmi-shahadat-divas-jhandapur
  37. https://frontline.thehindu.com/books/article30327856.ece
  38. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/safdar-hashmi-murder-case-sequence-of-events/articleshow/268350.cms
  39. https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/04/world/street-dramatist-in-india-slain-over-play.html
  40. https://www.facebook.com/sfihcu/posts/safdar-hashmi-a-fearless-theatre-activist-was-brutally-beaten-and-murdered-by-co/999851908844983/
  41. https://www.facebook.com/scroll.in/posts/there-was-a-spontaneous-outcry-a-conflagration-of-grief-and-rage-that-drew-thous/1070228461817765/
  42. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/10-convicted-for-hashmi-murder/articleshow/267392.cms
  43. https://www.rediff.com/news/2003/nov/04hash.htm
  44. https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/hashmi-wheel-turns-14-years-on/cid/787769
  45. https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/life-for-all-10-killers-of-hashmi/cid/787446
  46. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/life-term-for-hashmis-killers/articleshow/269212.cms
  47. https://www.rediff.com/news/report/hashmi/20031105.htm
  48. https://archives.peoplesdemocracy.in/2003/1109/11092003_safdar.html
  49. https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/RFXOwLRUUbjkWxwJtX2TqI/Safdar-Hashmi-and-the-art-of-cultural-resistance.html
  50. https://www.seagullindia.com/stq/pdf/stq16.pdf
  51. https://deh.ulab.edu.bd/sites/default/files/Crossings_vol4-5_Raghavan.pdf
  52. http://tlhjournal.com/uploads/products/6.rajiv-kumar-article.pdf
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  54. https://www.ritimo.org/Jan-Natya-Manch-and-the-Success-of-People-s-Theatre-in-India
  55. https://study.com/academy/lesson/jana-natya-manch-history-significance.html
  56. https://www.studiosafdar.org/about-us
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  58. https://smartmuseum.uchicago.edu/exhibitions/the-sahmat-collective-art-and-activism-in-india-since-1989/
  59. https://fowler.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Sahmat-PressRelease-Fowler_FINALpdf1.pdf
  60. https://caravanmagazine.in/reviews-essays/fight-back
  61. https://m.thewire.in/article/culture/citizenship-freedom-sahmat-exhibition
  62. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/sahmats-latest-exhibition-is-an-ode-to-the-other-india/article68148578.ece
  63. https://www.arabnews.com/node/2602210/world
  64. https://architecture.mit.edu/sites/default/files/publications/Sahmat%2520-%2520Cultural%2520Dynamics%2520article%2520scan.pdf
  65. https://amankiasha.com/art-and-resistance-the-impact-of-indias-street-theatre-personality-safdar-hashmi/
  66. https://thetheatretimes.com/the-importance-of-safdar-hashmi/
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