On the motherland

The female singer in Sohni Dharti and Jeevay Jeevay represented the nation’s own appropriation of the concept of a motherland, in the same way as the subcontinent would see a “Mother India”. To have these very nationalistic songs sung by women is to appeal to the idea of the nation as first and foremost a “mother”land, not just your place of birth but the home that gives you your identity. It is meant to evoke a certain kind of sentiment for one’s homeland, that of the bond between a mother and her offspring- unconditional and everlasting. However, though both songs appeal to national solidarity, Jeevay Jeevay and Sohni Dharti were released at different times in very different contexts. Jeevay Jeevay makes direct appeals to the preservation of a unified nationhood whereas Soni Dharti focuses more on the land and its endless bounty. Both however, reiterate the point that we must view our homeland as God’s gift for which we must always be thankful; in the same way that the child is eternally grateful to the mother for gifting him with life. Jeevay Jeevay was released for the specific purpose of calling for the integration of east and west Pakistan. Its lyrics appeal for a unity and solidarity among all Pakistanis: “Bikhray Howoon Ko Bichray Howoon Ko, Ik Markaz Pay Laya.” Soni Dharti, on the other hand never mentions the name of Pakistan which is why it is different from other nationalist songs such as Dil Dil Pakistan. Soni Dharti is written almost as a prayer or a song of praise, which sung by a female singer, renders it with hymn-like qualities.