Punjabi Songs – The Tune Of The Vices?

But that is rather ironical. While a movie on drug abuse attempting to tell the audience a tale tinged with reality is being literally killed (89 cuts and all that jazz) in the name of censorship, the state government's art and culture wing has so far turned a deaf ear to popular Punjabi music that openly and shamelessly glorifies drugs and alcohol. Isn't it rather ironical that the same state government which thinks of 'Udta Punjab' as a "film (that) is nothing but an outcome of a trend to defame Punjab and its youth" has so far turned a deaf ear to popular Punjabi hip-hop music that act as patrons of drugs & alcohol?! Take a look at this list and you will know what we are talking about! 1. "Jinni Teri College Di Fees Jhalliye, Enni Naagni Jattan Da Putt Khanda Tadkey..." Translated: "What you spend as your entire college fees is worth my daily morning quota of 'Afeem' ('Nagini/Naagni' is the local term for this drug)" This song by Punjabi singers Resham Anmol and Bhinda Aujla has over 13 lakh YouTube viewers! 2. "Chaska ae yaara nu, Daru vi chadi rakhn da..." Translated: "I like to be drunk all the time." Sung by industry's bad boy Honey Singh with Raja Baath, the song tells us that being under the influence of alcohol all the time is a personal choice! 3. "Enna vi na dope shope maareya karo, saanu eh ve keh nak chahdeya karo..." Translated: "Don't do so much drugs. Don't try to be so cool and move your nose up and down when you look at us!" Another one by Honey Singh with Deep Money, this song suggests doing drugs is all very cool. 4. "Ohnu akh V laun ni dehnda, O jassa kal di tareek da, border ni tapda chitta , O munda Ludhiane udeek da..." Translated: "It doesn't even let him rest his eyes for a moment, the need for the next day's fix; Chitta (cocaine) doesn't even cross the border, the boy is waiting for it in Ludhiana!" 'Chitta' (local slang for Cocaine), sung by singer Veet Baljit released in 2014 too is all about drugs. Why are songs that glorify drugs and alcohol and objectify women, so openly accepted, while a movie which throws light on the same, in a positive manner, in a MUCH better portrayal of the situation, being put under the microscope?! This is not a layman's observation, but a conclusion reached by a one-of-its-kind study undertaken by the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. The institute analysed 2,000 Punjabi songs popular with youngsters in the last year, and found that at least 1,200 extolled the vices. The researchers also analysed students on a psychometric purified scale and found out that students who listened to such songs a lot were very likely to do drugs, indulge in violence and even had a negative attitude towards women! While the state government wants 'Udta Punjab' stripped of scenes and dialogues that could "defame" Punjab over drug abuse (89 cuts et al), surprisingly on the contrary, there seems to be no objection to locally produced music which promotes the drug habit & alcoholism!

Zoya Ghosh

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