Hate masquerading as popular music is being sold on the streets of Uttar Pradesh, and millions are consuming it with relish.
Popular purveyors including Upendra Rana, Sandeep Acharya and Prem Krishnvanshi whip up mass frenzy with Hindutva. Whether for a religious procession, a festive occasion like Ram Navami, a political rally, or a song in praise of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, these singers fill up the air space with hatred. Lyrics such as “Dharm ki khatir aage badhke ab hathyar uthhavo (Raise arms for the sake of religion)” and “Insaan nahi ho salo, tum ho kasai, bahaut hua Hindu-Muslim bhai bhai (You are not humans, you are butchers, enough of this Hindu-Muslim brotherhood)” often border on a call for genocide. Some like Acharya go a step further, mouthing lines like, “Aisi koi gali nahin jahan Hinduon ki chali nahin (There is no lane where the Hindus have not called the shots).” The songs have no melody, the visuals are garish, and the singers appear untrained. It is the divisive, even genocidal, lyrics of the songs that have a finger on the pulse.
Claiming to be votaries of Hindu nationalism, and fans of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the YouTube channels of these singers have hundreds of thousands of subscribers. Leading the charge in western Uttar Pradesh is Upendra Rana. He is based in Rasulpur village of Dadri, the township where 52-year-old Mohammed Akhlaq was brutally killed by a mob in September 2015 on the suspicion of slaughtering a calf. Rana whips up songs that ask the youth to pick up arms to protect their religion. A fan of the Chief Minister, Rana is hugely popular among local politicians, who often invite him to functions and rallies.
