Fist of Music vs Blood of Revolution
They died giving voices to the suppressed and the poor of their countries
Victor Jara of Chile and Helin Bolek of Turkey are now global symbols of peace and revolution. They died while creating what they loved the most; uplifting the masses' problems.
What is the story behind their deaths?
In the 70s, Chile had a socialist government. The state was led by Salvador Allende in the coalition government of Unidad Popular or Popular Unity. With the left-wing government in power, Allende has constant bellicose with the right-wingers who were supported by the United States government.
Victor Jara in the late 60s visited the USSR (now Russia) and Cuba. He with his eyes saw the suppressed masses who were now given hope by the Communist governments of these nations. After returning to Chile, he opted for music as his medium for the change in the society and made an extensive fan base, in and outside Chile.
After a few months, he joined the Communist Party of Chile and voiced for Allende's victory. Popular Front emerged victoriously and Allende was chosen as the President.
During this constant era of supporting Allende, Jara was tortured and beaten by right-wing jingoists. To topple the communist government and enforce the military rule in the country, the right-wing parties were supported by the USA's government (then under Richard Nixon). From the beginning, the USA had disregarded Allende's socialist government.
Following this, on September 11, 1973, the Chilean military staged a coup d'état which resulted in mass violence and the death of Allende. Military rule was installed in Chile and was led by Augusto Pinochet.
Through his revolutionary music and writings, Jara had made a name for himself in the country, especially among the young Chileans. After the assassination of Allende, Jara was the target of the military.
After the coup, Pinochet's soldiers rounded up the Chileans who were believed to be vocal about the various leftist groups in the country. On the morning of 12 September 1973, Jara was taken prisoner, along with thousands of others, and imprisoned inside Chile Stadium. The guards tortured him, smashing his hands and fingers, and then mocked him by asking him to play the guitar. Jara instead sang the popular Chilean protest and revolutionary song Venceremos.
Soon after, he was killed with a gunshot to the head, and his body was riddled with more than 40 bullets and was on the streets of Santiago.
Helin Bolek's hunger strike for 287-days
Turkey's Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi or the Justice and Development Party (Turkey) turned a blind eye to Helin Bolek and her band Grup Yorum's demands. They demanded that Grup Yorum should be allowed to resume concerts, that jailed band members be released and that lawsuits against the group be dropped.
The conservative government accused the band of links to the outlawed Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front, or DHKP/C. The party or the group is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, alongside the United States and the European Union.
The band, Grup Yorum is a folk collective with a rotating membership and has been active since 1985. They have performed in Australia, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Greece, Belgium, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Syria. The group is well-known for its protest song and is banned by the government since 2016.
Owing to the ban, group members Bahar Kurt, Barış Yüksel, and Ali Aracı sat on a hunger strike from 17th May 2019 ( Hunger strikes in Turkey consume liquid). Helin joined the strike in June 2019. With constant pressure from the fans and masses, the government did not take note of the events and hence, turned a blind eye to the strike.
After 287 days of hunger strike, Helin Bolek died.
Musicians around the world celebrate the very message that Jara and Bolek tried to convey through their songs. Even after their death, they have left behind their writings and music which, till day inspire generations across the world.
As the French Poet, Victor Hugo said,
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