Chandigarh: Punjabi singer and actor Gippy Grewal today shared a video by a YouTube entertainer ZaidAliT. The short video (1:28 minutes) highlights the problem of eve-teasing and crimes against women.
Video titled: “This needs to stop! Let’s make a difference together” shows that a groups of boys follows a girl, stop her and starts to harass her. A boy pulls the girl from her shoulder but finds out that it was his sister. Suddenly his accomplice holds the hand of his sister. They body pushes back his accomplice saying “she is my sister”. The group of eve-teasers was left shocked.
A text message displayed at the end of this video says: “Over 50000 women gets raped every year in India and Pakistan. Before you harass any women, just think that she is someone’s sister… she is someone’s mother. Share this video to raise awareness”.
This video make the viewers to think about the curse of harassment of women. It calls for introspection. It’s good that Gippy Grewal, who has considerable fan following, shared this video over his Facebook fans page wall. But these Punjabi singers and actors need to introspect on this issue. Punjabi films industry and Punjabi songs are turning to be a massive source of ‘cultural pollution’ where vulgarity is being severed through visuals and lyrics.
Many songs are not less than violence against women in any aspect, where women are abused as drug takers, characterless and a commodity for use/abuse. ‘15 Saal to Ghat’ (by Diljit Dosanjh), ‘Bibi Bamb a’ (by Anmol Preet), ‘Lokin tenu kehnde c sire di rakan, bann ke tu reh gayee nashe di dukan’ (by Zo Zo Honey Singh), ‘Ghar Di Sharab’ by Gippy Grewal are just few examples representing this trend. The list seems endless with so many new songs coming out routinely.
The situation of Punjabi film industry is such that an upcoming Punjabi movie is titled as ‘Proper Patola’.
The trend is alarming and there are apprehension that this would lead to increased violence against women. In India there is a law titled ‘Indecent Representation of Women (Prevention) Act’, which penalizes ‘indecent’ or ‘morally harmful’ representation of women in any manner. But the law lays buried and Punjabi singers, music companies, actors, film makers are crossing all limits to present women in all possible indecent manners.
These Punjabi artists have started showing immunity towards criticism and condemnations of their socially harmful activities (songs etc). Istari Jagriti Manjh organized protests outside Diljit Dosanjh’s house where his family members offered apology on his behalf. After widespread outrage against his song ‘15 Saal to Ghat’ Diljit Dosanjh had to tender apology over Facebook Fans page. But he is still engaged in promotion of social evils though his songs. His recent song ‘Patiala Peg’ glorifies liquor abuse. This is just one example, there are enormous examples which shows that Punjabi singers are not paying any attention towards the voices of concerns raised by awakened sections of Punjabi society.
Participants of Punjabi music and film industry need to make thorough introspection in wake of ZaidAliT’s video giving out a clear message “This needs to stop!”.