Clenched fist to be Jana Sena Party’s symbol

Hyderabad: Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief Pawan Kalyan declared on Monday that his party’s symbol would be clenched fist. The symbol indicates that the party would question the establishment for all the omissions and commissions and a clenched fist symbolises unwillingness to take the things lying down.

Interestingly, the symbol of a clenched fist has a long history since it denotes defiance and is often associated with both Left-wing politics as well as oppressed groups.

As far back as in 1960s, the black power movement used it as a gesture to represent the struggle for civil rights. The Black Panther Party used it as a symbol of resistance.

In one iconic image, American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists during a medal ceremony at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games. Later, in an autobiography, Smith said he saw it as a "human rights salute."

When a clenched fist is raised into the air, it may denote a gesture by a political party that they are determined to bring in ache din. When South African civil rights activist Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990, he and his wife both raised a fist in triumph. After 27 years in jail, he had become a symbol of the struggle against apartheid in South Africa.

The raised fist (also known as the clenched fist) is a salute most often used by Left-wing activists, such as: Marxists, socialists, communists, feminists, trade unionists, and black nationalists. The raised fist is usually regarded as an expression of solidarity, strength, or defiance. 

It dates back to the salute of Rotfrontkämpferbund, a red front Paramilitary organisation of the Communist Party of Germany before World War II.