Sir-Inder Deol is a poet, a human rights activist, and a strong advocate of freedom of speech and expression. During the Farmer’s Protest in 2020-21, Deol was instrumental in instigating the United Nations Initiative requesting independent observers at protestor sites following a host of human rights violations and restrictions on the press. From his position as witness and supporter, Sir-Inder Deol documented the Protests through poetry. He has recently published a collection of these poems, titled: The Indian Farmers Protest (The Resistance Collection): The Largest Protest in Human History 2020 – 2021. The book can be found at Amazon.
Here is one of the poems published in this new collection:
Societies Worst Nightmares
Oppression can be said to be one of
societies worst nightmares.
It is a period filled with fear and anguish.
All seems hopelessly lost beyond repair.
The powerful exert themselves.
The meek cower, others accept dominance
Forced to live in the shadows
Untruths become reality and falsehood rules supreme.
At such moments Fate rectifies this imbalance
By sending forth a cluster of activists
That when arranged in the perfect formation
Can move mountains
And revise destinies.
On commenting about this book, Sir-Inder Singh said, "Anyone who has spent time with me knows writing and poetry are my passions. In 2020, I decided to start a foundation that bore the family name. The freedom of the press and media, human rights, environmental rights, and social impact; these are the areas I wanted to focus on, and they are all close to my heart. Through our Foundation, I have encountered some fantastic people. Our aim is to create projects all over the globe that will support our vision and core values.” Visit Deolfoundation.org to learn more.
The book also includes the artwork of Artful Skecha and Ravi Ravraj. Ravi Ravraj painted many murals and paintings live at the protester sights around New Delhi, India. U.K artist Artful Skecha (aka Randeep Singh Sohal) has created a number of emotionally fluid pieces, adding further to the beauty of the book.
“Sir-Inder Deol’s mastery of the poetic word transports the reader directly into the forefront of the largest mass protest in human history. His tone eloquently reflects a combination of the personal and collective struggle of the agitators, inviting readers to both question and better understand the political and corporate cogs of society. It literally makes you want to go out and protest! The Resistance Collection, whilst containing a rich insight into the Indian farmers' protest, also crosses over. A modern-day inspirational manual of sorts for activists and reformers worldwide.
Deol illuminates every single poem with his command of figurative language, managing to effortlessly capture such raw emotion in a mere matter of words. The combination of the intellectual with the metaphorical depicts an imperative class consciousness narrative which encourages its reader to pause and reflect. It was within each pause that I found a truly unique insight into what resistance entailed, and what it evoked for the Indian farmers. It is a poetic resistance story like none other, one which resonates wholly with its reader. I look forward, eagerly, for what Deol may bring next, he is truly an emerging literary genius.”
- Professor Balkar Singh. Professor of Eminence, Patiala University, India. Author and Academic Scholar