Chitransha Singh- Week 10

Ranjit Bawa’s, ‘mera ki kasoor’ has been interesting piece of work in Dalit Music with the Upper caste taking offence on their behalf calling it anti-hindu while the Dalits are a part of the hindu community. The offence-taking is to the extent of filing FIRs, because it says the truthful lines like you offer milk to stones but not humans, and you don’t touch humans or eat non-vegetarian food but you dink cow urine like a sacred drink. The song attacks casteim but the upper-caste is feeling attacked because they are indeed the perpetrators of casteism.

Ginni Mahi is another rapper who interestingly calls herself a chamar, rather a danger chamar, is an Ambedkar follower who perpetually mentions him in her songs along with their sikh guru, she used various genres from Dalit pop to Bhim Rap. Dalit music in Punjab has also taken a political discourse. Every year on Ravidas Jayanti almost 200 CDs are released by Dalit musicians from Punjab.

Another inspiring group of musicians is the ‘casteless collective’ who immortalize pain and suffering until it hits you like oceanic waves. It exists in both the mainstream and marginalized ones. Music as a medium can be very political if need be, and Dalit rappers and bands are using their way of reaching to the down-trodden masses through music to encourage them to come out of it through a fight like their contemporary Dalits.