Why Haryana is targetting folk singers

Masoom Sharma was recently stopped from singing one of the banned songs during a public performance in Gurgaon.

The Haryana Police’s cyber wing cracking down on songs sung by local singers allegedly promoting violence and gun culture has snowballed into a controversy.

What did Haryana police do?

According to The Hindu, about 10 songs have been taken down from various social media platforms by the Haryana Police over the past fortnight, and at least two concerts, including one in Gurugram, halted midway. Six of the 10 banned songs were sung by Masoom Sharma, a prominent Haryanvi singer.

 What did the Saini govt say?

The crackdown for “promoting gun culture and violence” reportedly began in January after Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini held a law-and-order review meeting in Karnal.

The CM had said people take inspiration from films and songs and are impacted by them. “If there are good songs, then society will get a positive direction,” Saini said.

Why is there a controversy?

The police action ended up pitting the singers against one of their own, Gajender Phogat, who is now an Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Special Publicity, to CM Saini.

At the heart of this escalating controversy is Masoom Sharma (33) from Jind’s Brahmanwas village. His tracks are largely based on issues such as brandishing guns, operating gangs from inside the jails, promoting alcohol and hooliganism.

Sharma was recently stopped from singing one of the banned songs during a public performance in Gurgaon.

Speaking to the local media, the singer, with more than 18 lakh followers on social media, said: “There should be uniformity. First, the song by him (Phogat) Tadke pavegi laas nahar mein should be deleted.”

At a recent Facebook Live session, Sharma said: “It is true that gun culture is not good for society, but only one artiste should not be targeted. Songs full of vulgarity and double meanings should also be banned… and across the country, including Punjab… If songs of only Haryanvi singers are banned, then the youth will listen to Punjabi songs, like they used to, including songs such as ‘Chak lo revolver (Lift a revolver)’… Not only this, South Indians movies are full of violent scenes.” According to a report by Indian Express, Sharma recently met CM Saini to plead his case.

Sharma’s songs have been removed from YouTube.

“My songs are being banned for allegedly promoting guns, but some artists are passing off vulgarity as folk music and facing no action,” he argued. “Why is the controversial song (jointly sung by Gajender Phogat and Amit Saini) titled Tadke Paavegi Laash Nahar Mein still up on YouTube,” he told The Sunday Guardian.

However, Phogat (48)  denied  Sharma’s allegations against him of targeted attacks and termed them “false”.

Phogat, who calls popular Punjabi singer Gurdas Maan his “guru”, told IE that songs which promote gun culture leave a very bad impact on children, some as young as just eight, with killers projected as heroes. “Singers should instead sing about people such as Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Dayanand Saraswati, " he said. “It will have a positive impact on children and youth.”

The songs of Ankit Baliyan and Narender Bhagana have also been banned.

What does the opposition say?

Speaking in the Assembly last week, Congress MLA Kuldeep Vats said that many see the action against the singers as “unjust”.

Congress’ Shahdara MLA Ramkaran Kala also emanded a statement from CM Saini on the “excess” committed against three singers — Masoom Sharma, Narendra Bhagana, and Ankit Baliyan — by deleting their songs, and a possible conflict between the singers.