Monday, April 14, 2014

Meena, an amazing blend of despair and hope


Having read some controversial comments on the lyrics of the song 'Meena', I am delighted to present a response in accordance with my understanding, which will still be open to any evaluation or criticism.
While I am writing this, 1342 people have liked this video and 814 visitors have shared the same on the facebook. This speaks a volume of success of the most awaited number by The Sketches.

As expected, the song is an amazing blend of despair and hope. The video starts with a feeling of delight, true beauty of nature, innocence of the child and human fraternity with nature, a window to God. From the moment when the girl keeps the eggs of birds back to their nests to when she plays with the butterflies, everything is delicate, sensitive and touchy. However, before the end of the song, especially when the girl finds her school without any student or teacher, it not only saddens the child in the video, but it also moves the viewers to the same status as the reality is not much different from what is the depicted in the song. Nonetheless, the girl doesn’t give up and takes up the job of a teacher and teaches her friend, Meena, the doll. When the song comes to an end, we see some students and a girl teaching to them in the same class. This also fills the hearts of viewers with a great deal of pleasure. Broadly, this is what the song preaches, and preaches it right. The message of the song precisely is to reawaken the society where people can live with love, care and harmony.
Moreover, since I am not theoretically a right person to comment on the prosody of the song, I will not remark on its meters, syllables and rhyming scheme. I leave this for the experts to state their observations on. However, being a student of literature, I would like to say that the lyrics of the song carry no controversy with any religion whatsoever. As stated in the comments on the facebook, some people believe that the words, ‘Where people precede religion’, contradict the religious concepts. To my understanding and in a broader sense, it is very much aligned with what all religions in general and Islam in particular advocate. In fact, the line should be interpreted that the people, as humans, are of a great value i.e. when we meet someone for the first time, we don’t ask him / her as to what religion he / she practices. We carry on our discussion, and, interestingly if we find the person worthy of our communication, we continue to do so even if his /her religious ideology doesn’t match with that of ours. Just imagine, if we find someone in a desperate need of help, would we ask him / him what religion he practices. Of course not! We will help him unconditionally. That’s why the song says, ‘‘Where people precede religion.’’

Therefore, the song should not be contradicted with any religion. However, its social, cultural and educational message may kindly be understood and discoursed accordingly.

Please listen to the song: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10154023942620521&set=vb.299411780520&type=2&theater