Bhagwa and Hinduvaadi music – New way to spread hatred against Muslims
“You are free; you are free to go to your temples. You are free to go to your mosques or to any other places of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion, caste or creed—that has nothing to do with the business of the state.”
This is the statement given by Pakistan’s founder Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah after the country got independence. Since then, Pakistan is a home of many religions with same equality and rights. But this is not the case in India.
Muslims in India form the largest religious minority in the country. According to the 2011 Census, they comprise 14.4 per cent of India’s total population — roughly 174 million people. To use the word ‘minority’ for them, therefore, is misleading: they are the third-largest Muslim population anywhere in the world, after Indonesia and Pakistan. One-third (32%) of the country’s Muslims are suffering.
A study has found that growing economic discrimination, social inequality, security concerns and a steep fall in political representation are among the major challenges members of the Muslim community are facing in India.
Apart from all the challenges, Muslims are now facing trouble living in the country after Bhagwa and Hinduvaadi music has started growing paranoia against them. The music continues spreading hateful messaged against the Muslims.
The Hinduvati singers belong to rural and middle-income groups projecting the anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan sentiments in the songs that mostly woo the conservative, ultra-nationalistic Hindutva followers in India.
Alongside the hate speech in the songs, there are hate images in the videos of the songs-of swords, sticks, threatening stills of people being lynched, being brutally beaten, the demolition of Babri Masjid. The songs even threaten to kill the people who do not chant Hindu slogan ‘Jai Shri Ram‘. A song even asked the Muslims of India to emigrate to Pakistan, since in 1947 Pakistan was created as a separate homeland for Muslims.
Indian Penal Code Regarding Hate Content
Here is something very shocking! Inida has a Penal code which restricts residents of India to spread hate content, but still no steps have been taken against such hate content creators.
Section 295 A, which deals with insulting the religion or religious beliefs with an intent to outrage tells that punishment for such acts is up to three years of imprisonment and a fine.
Section 505(2), under which statements that create or promote enmity and hatred on grounds of religion are punishable with up to three years in jail and a fine.
Bollywood Movies
But this is not the first time when India’s entertainment industry has promoted anything against Pakistan or Muslims. There is a long list of the movie which portrayed negative role of Muslims, here are some of them.
- New York
- Raazi
- Phantom
- Ek The Tiger
- Lahore
A new Netflix webseries, Bard of Blood, produced by Shah Rukh Khan and Emran Hashmi as a lead actor shows shows Pakistan as a breeding ground and sympathizers for terrorism, while Indian armed forces are brave and courageously fight against terrorists.
