The Timeless Resistance Of Kabir: A Cultural Movement For Unity And Justice
"Because someone has made up the word ‘wave,’ do I have to distinguish it from water?"
That question was posed by the 15th century poet-saint Kabir, who grew up in a family of Muslim weavers before becoming a disciple of the Hindu ascetic Ramananda. It’s a message that has resonated across centuries, echoed by civil rights activists, artists and those who have suffered from discrimination.
For Kabir, the labels that divided his native India were often tied to caste, which in turn was deeply connected to religion. Amid a history of religious violence, particularly between Hindus and Muslims, Kabir remains a beloved figure to both communities.
Kabir’s universal appeal transcends these divides, making him a powerful symbol for unity. It’s one of the reasons documentary filmmaker Shabnam Virmani launched “The Kabir Project” in response to the Gujarat riots. Initially, an effort to promote Kabir's poetry, the project has now grown into a digital archive and educational initiative dedicated to fostering empathy and countering ignorance among young minds.
In February 2002, a tragic event shook Gujarat when 59 Hindu pilgrims were killed in a train fire. Muslim communities were blamed for the attack, sparking a wave of vengeance in which over 1,000 people — mostly Muslims — were killed, and many more displaced.
Three years later, the Indian government officially declared the fire an accident. During this period, Narendra Modi, who was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, faced widespread accusations of enabling and even encouraging the violence. Now India’s prime minister, Modi’s actions, such as building a massive Hindu temple atop a former mosque site, shows that sectarian divisions still run deep in the country.
Modi is associated with the Hindutva movement, which asserts that being Indian is synonymous with being Hindu. When “The Kabir Project” began, Hindu nationalism was on the rise, and Modi has remained in political control for over a decade. In this context, Kabir’s poetry — which critiques both Hindu and Muslim orthodoxy — serves as a potent counter to the divisive forces shaping contemporary India.
Kabir’s ability to transcend religious and social boundaries is why his poetry continues to resonate today, even 500 years after his death. According to legend, when Kabir died, both Hindus and Muslims fought over his body, each wanting to claim it according to their respective religious customs. When the shroud covering his body was removed, however, only flowers were found beneath, symbolizing the unity that Kabir’s teachings continue to inspire.
Flames engulf a coach of the Sabarmati Express near Godhra, Gujarat, in February 2002. (Wikipedia Commons photo)
A critical voice across boundaries
Kabir’s critique of religious and social divisions makes him an ideal figure for a project that seeks to challenge extremism. Though Kabir is admired by both Hindus and Muslims, he was openly critical of both faith.
Dr. Carla Bellamy, an expert on South Asian religious studies, noted that Kabir did not favor one side over the other.
“In the communalized environment of India, you can’t say he’s really on one side or the other,” Bellamy said. “He had equal disdain for both sides.”
Bellamy also pointed out that Kabir likely did not perceive the world as divided into religious “sides.” Before British colonialism, divisions in Indian society were largely defined by socioeconomic status rather than religion.
“When the British left,” Bellamy added, “they had really done a number on how religion was experienced. It became the core of a person’s identity, and it was framed as a binary: you were either Hindu or Muslim. This shift primed the country for conflict.”
Birth of ‘The Kabir Project’
“The Kabir Project” began in 2003 when Shabnam Virmani, then a documentary filmmaker, launched an artist-in-residency program at the Srishti Institute of Art, Design & Technology.
Virmani produced four documentaries about singers of Kabir’s poetry. From this initial work, ten CDs were produced, and six bilingual books of Kabir’s poetry published.
Over time, the project expanded, culminating in Kabir festivals and performances across India and beyond.
Virmani’s team of artists, scholars, and musicians, who were deeply engaged with Kabir’s work and other forms of ancient South Asian poetry, eventually created a digital archive. This online resource, called “Ajab Shahar” — a title taken from one of Kabir's poems — houses hundreds of songs, translations, films, and other educational materials.
Supported by organizations like the Ford Foundation and the Raza Foundation, the Kabir Project has found a lasting home at the Srishti Institute.
One of Virmani’s key collaborators, Dr. Linda Hess, a former Stanford professor and advisor to the project, explained that Kabir’s appeal goes beyond his advocacy for equality. His poetry is unique because it blends mystical experience with sharp social critique.
“His poetry looked both inward and outward,” Hess said, “challenging social realities while seeking mystical truths.”
Kabir, who was born into a low caste and worked as a weaver, rejected religious labels. Hess describes how Kabir “wove Hindu, Muslim and other traditions together in his songs,” condemning sectarian violence and refusing to align himself with any one religious identity.
In a time when many religious narratives were being selectively quoted to fuel Hindu nationalism, Kabir’s influence served as a counterforce.
“Some religious poets were being used to promote hostility towards Muslims,” Hess explained. “Kabir’s poetry, by contrast, spoke for unity.”
Kabir’s radical social vision also included a denouncement of caste and untouchability, as well as a critique of injustice, hypocrisy and ignorance. For Prashant Parvataneni, a Stanford PhD student who worked as a translator for “The Kabir Project,” Kabir’s critiques of caste — articulated so many centuries ago — are still relevant today.
“It was exciting for me that these resistances to the caste hierarchy were already being articulated in poetry and music,” Parvataneni said.
Though Kabir likely never wrote down his poetry, his work was preserved through oral transmission.
“These are all living traditions,” Parvataneni added.
“The Kabir Project” has also helped keep these traditions alive, not just through written texts but also by fostering contemporary music, artwork and scholarship. “Ajab Shahar,” for example, featured modern musicians composing new music for Kabir’s poetry, and scholars continue to explore the deeper meanings of his verses.
The 15th century poet-saint Kabir, who grew up in a family of Muslim weavers before becoming a disciple of the Hindu ascetic Ramananda. (Wikipedia Commons photo)
Cultural resistance
While the project does not directly confront the political powers in India, Parvataneni sees its educational initiatives as an essential form of cultural resistance.
“These traditions have a potential to deconstruct the dominant ideological rhetoric being peddled in India right now,” he said.
Education is at the heart of this cultural resistance. Its YouTube channel — now with over 100 million views — is one example of how the project has brought Kabir’s message to a global audience. The site features numerous folk singers performing Kabir’s poetry, with high-quality translations and educational materials. For scholars, the channel is an invaluable resource.
The project’s work extends beyond online content. During the pandemic, Virmani launched Shabad Shaala, an initiative that brings Kabir’s poetry into Indian schools. Through this program, 25 schools have partnered with the project to bring folk singers into classrooms, where students engage with the poems and discuss their relevance in today’s world.
Parvataneni said the program as a way to break down barriers of caste and class: “The children have to interact, they dance together, they eat together. It’s the kind of paranoia that caste creates — that barrier is broken.”
Matthew Peterson is Religion Unplugged’s Podcast Editor an d Audience Development Coordinator.