‘Singhasan khali karo’: Shashi Tharoor invokes Dinkar poem on democracy amid Congress vs Gyanesh Kumar showdown

Shashi Tharoor sharing ‘Dinkar’s ‘The Birth of Democracy’ poem carries a clear political resonance as it comes on a day when INDIA bloc is taking out a protest march on the streets of Delhi seeking CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. 

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday invoked Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’s iconic poem ‘Janatantra Ka Janma’ amid controversy over the police deployment in the nationa; ca[ital during protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

Tharoor sharing ‘Dinkar’s ‘The Birth of Democracy’ poem carries a clear political resonance as it comes on a day when Opposition's INDIA bloc is taking out a protest march on the streets of the national capital against ‘violence’ by Delhi Police and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers used violence against students and women during the CJP-led protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

"Poem of the Day: As Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' (रामधारी सिंह 'दिनकर') wrote in his iconic poem "Janatantra Ka Janma" (जनतंत्र का जन्म / “The Birth of Democracy”)," Tharoor wrote in a post on X sharing the poem in Hindi with English translation.

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Tharoor shared Dinkar’s 1952 poem “Janatantra Ka Janma,” translated as “The Birth of Democracy.” The poem celebrates democracy and the political awakening of ordinary people.

Tharoor shared the poem as the INDIA bloc prepared a protest march against the police response to demonstrations demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. Its message that sovereignty belongs to the people gave the post political resonance.

The line means “Vacate the throne.” In the poem, it conveys that people can demand power from those who hold positions of authority.

The CJP and opposition parties demanded Kumar’s resignation, citing alleged irregularities in the Election Commission’s functioning, particularly during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Tharoor described the deployment as “war-like” and said young people deserved better than an “undeclared” Emergency. He linked the comparison to concerns about political expression.

The poem 'Janatantra Ka Janma' written in 1952, celebrates the arrival of democracy and the political awakening of ordinary people. Its central message is that sovereignty belongs to the people, not to those who occupy positions of power.

The Opposition has been up in arms against the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the poll panel’s functioning, particularly during the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

"But earthquakes happen and tornadoes do occur, When people raise their eyebrows in rage, Give way, listen to the thunderous sounds of the chariot of time, Abdicate the throne, for the people are coming to claim it," the Congress leader wrote.

Tharoor hits out at Modi Govt

Earlier, Tharoor hit out at the Narendra Modi-led Union government, claiming that Delhi witnessed ‘war-like deployment’ during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest on Saturday. Tharoor, a parliamentarian, said GenZ deserved better than an 'undeclared' Emergency.

Tharoor also tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2015 post about the Emergencyand said, "Thanks for teaching today's youngsters many of the same lessons, Modiji!"

In the June 2015 post, PM Modi had said how personally, the Emergency brought back many memories." As youngsters, we learnt a lot during the anti-Emergency movement," he had said.

In another post, Tharoor wrote, “As I said this morning, our GenZ deserves better than an undeclared EmerGenZ,”

The Emergency in India was a 21 month period from 1975 to 1977 when prime minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency across India by citing internal and external threats to the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top leaders of the BJP have often used Emergency to target the Congress party.

June 25, 2025, marked the 50th anniversary of the imposition of the 1975 Emergency. The Modi government marks the day as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ to remember the victims and the suspension of constitutional rights during the 21-month Emergency period.

“Abdicate the throne, for the people are coming to claim it.”

By combining 'Emergency' with ‘Gen Z’, Tharoor invoked the authoritarian associations of the 1975–77 Emergency while suggesting that young Indians are confronting restrictions on their political expression today.

(With agency inputs)

About the Author

Gulam Jeelani is Political Desk Editor at LiveMint with over 16 years of experience covering national and international politics. Based in New Delhi, Jeelani delivers impactful political narratives through breaking stories, in-depth interviews, and analytical pieces at LiveMint since February 2024. The expertise in video production fuels his current responsibilities, which include curating content and conducting video interviews for an expanding digital audience.<br><br> Jeelani also travels during elections and key political events and has covered assembly elections in key states apart from national elections. He has previously worked with The Pioneer, Network18, India Today, News9Plus and Hindustan Times.<br><br> Jeelani’s tenure at LiveMint and previous experience at print and digital newsrooms have honed his skills in creating compelling text and video stories, explainers, and analysis that resonate with a diverse viewership.<br><br> Before moving to New Delhi in 2015, Jeelani was based in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked for five years as a reporter. In 2018, Jeelani was one of the two Indian journalists selected for the Alfred Friendly Fellowship in the US. There, he attended training workshops on reporting and data journalism, and he was attached to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in Minnesota, where he worked as a reporter.<br><br> Jeelani is a Bachelor's in Chemistry and holds a Masters Degree in journalism and mass communication from Aligarh Muslim University. Outside work, he enjoys poetry, cricket and movies.