“Kamane wala khayega,
Lootne wala jayega,
Naya zamana aayega!”
(The one who works with dignity shall thrive; exploitation shall cease; a new era will arrive!)
In the stillness of the night, darkness does not simply recede on its own—it must be pushed back by flame, resolve, and collective will.
In a stirring video from Mijwan Welfare Society, dozens of women, young girls, and mentors stride boldly through the night holding flaming torches (mashals). Their footsteps are deliberate, their raised fists unshakable, and their voices reverberate across the village lanes in unison.
As Shabana Azmi has always emphasized when speaking of her father Kaifi Azmi’s legacy: Change cannot be gifted; it must be reclaimed by the very hands that build it. When rural women find their voice, they do not just illuminate their own path—they light the road for the entire community.
Lighting the Fire Within
When Kaifi Azmi set out to transform Mijwan from an isolated village into a model of self-reliance, his deepest conviction was that economic autonomy and dignity are inseparable.
Watching the women of Mijwan march through the dark with burning torches is not merely a symbolic visual; it is a declaration of presence. For decades, societal taboos and systemic barriers kept rural women confined to the shadows. Today, those same women walk out into the open night—unafraid, proud, and in charge of their own destiny.
From Passive Observers to Architects of Change
What does this torchlight procession represent?
- Economic Dignity (Kamane Wala Khayega): Through Chikankari embroidery, digital literacy, and skill centres, these women earn a rightful living. When women earn, exploitation loses its grip, and the family’s future is safeguarded.
- Fearlessness and Safety: By claiming the night together, they show that fear has no place where sisterhood and solidarity exist.
- The New Era (Naya Zamana Aayega): Change is not a distant promise. It is happening in every classroom of the Kaifi Azmi Girls Inter College, on every mat at the sports academy, and at every craft workstation in Mijwan.
A Flame That Will Never Extinguish
This march is a tribute to Kaifi Azmi’s poetic revolutionary spirit and Shabana Azmi’s tireless leadership. It reminds the world that when you empower a woman, you empower an entire civilization.
The dark roads of history are behind us. The torches are lit. The new era has arrived.
