Bazaar Mein Machi Hai Mara Maar, Bole Mochi Bhi Khud Ko Sunar.
Aaja Nachle lyrics portrays well the Caste Hindu Psyche and aesthetics
While we demand to abolish caste system, why we are so hurt with our caste identies and defend violently the Curse of the Rotten brahminical Imperialism!
Palash Biswas
Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Bazaar Mein Machi Hai Mara Maar, Bole Mochi Bhi Khud Ko Sunar
Respected friends! These are the lines which created storm countrywide. These are the lines which consist of Title song of the Mads Come Back Film. The film is said to be all about woman`s empowerment as Diya, the character played by the Bollywood diva fights to save the forum to sustain indigenous culture. And she transforms dancing as the best weapon. such a story is subverted by these lines which were quite unnoticed all throughout the Promos! Suddenly Sister mayawati take up the issue and it has become a Nationwide Political game with rearranging mobile votebank accordingly.
Mind you, as we have to well aware of all art forms in India, we may not be unare of the Caste Hindu psyche of so called Indian Culture which denies or dilutes other identities of an individual.The deprived the enslaved eighty five percent of subaltern masses of knowledge for thousands and thousands years and dominated the cultural intellectual knowledge scene. Hence, they never respected the tribals or the OBC or the Dalits. It is nothing new. banning a film or removing a song from a film may not amend this caste hindu psyche.
We all know how the media treats lalu Prasad Yadav, Ram Bilas Paswan, Rabri Devi, Mayawati, Mulayam singh Yadav, Uma bharati. karunanidhi, madhu Koda, Shibu Soren and all the elected leaders of marginal societies! We all know how they treated Dr Ambedkar, Jogendra nath Mandal, Karpoori Thakur, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Kanshiram. A definite hate campaign is the integral part of caste Hindu Psyche.
These particular lines are best evidence of graded inequality. A cobbler is allowed to introduce himself as a goldsmith! Why not as a Brahmin?
Just read our so called classical literature. for instance Sahrat Babu! We know that he foght for the cause of Women and nobody could write like him. He also supported Brahma Samaj and criticised it most violently. He exposed all the hypocricies of Kulin Brahmins? How did he portray the lowcaste Hindus and Muslims? Why all his protagonists were only Brahmins!
Take Premchand for Instance, what is the characterisation of Kafan?
Then Tara shankar wrote so many thing all about Dalits of Love Pur in his novels like Hansuli Banker Upakatha, Gano Devata and kabi.How he painted a character like durga and her community Bowry? How he despised the Dome who became a poet and captured space in the Folk form of poetry only with his talent?
Read any issue of our so called alternative Pro dalit pro woman Mags like Sarika and Hans, have you ever noticed the psyche and the aesthetics?
What does the film directors with all subaltern, non Hindu, Dalit, tribal characters, their culture and their ethenic identies?
Without changing this aesthetics, psyche and social equations, all exercises are meant for vote bank mobilisation for predestined enslavement with graded inequality.
While we demand to abolish caste system, why we are so hurt with our caste identies and defend violently the Curse of the Rotten brahminical Imperialism!
SC comm to summon those linked with lyrics of 'Aaja Nachle'.Meanwhile,agencies report from Mumbai that Producers of Bollywood actor Madhuri Dixit's comeback film Aaja Nachle, which has run into a controversy over its title song, on Saturday apologised for the lyrics and said that immediate action has been taken to remove the objectionable words.
The instructions to remove the offending lyrics in the title song of the film had been sent to all distributors and exhibitors on late Friday and will not be heard in theatres from Saturday, a release from film's producer Yash Raj Films stated in Mumbai.
"It was not our intention to hurt the feelings of any individual or community of our great nation. If we have inadvertently hurt the sentiments of anybody, I apologise for the same," Yash Chopra, Chairman of Yash Raj Films, said.
"We have taken immediate remedial action by deleting the line from the prints of 'Aaja Nachle' all over the country," he added.
The film, which features actress Madhuri Dixit after a long hiatus, was released across the country on Friday but had been pulled off screens in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab after the lyrics of its title song were deemed offensive to certain communities.
Dancing diva Madhuri Dixit's comeback venture "Aaja Nachle" ran into further trouble on Saturday with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes deciding to summon all those associated with the controversial lyrics used in the film.Shortly after the Uttar Pradesh and Punjab (rpt) Punjab governments banned the film in their respective states, the commission said it would issue summons to all those associated with the film on Monday and ask them to submit affidavits explaining their position.
"We will summon all the people who have performed, written and cleared the lyrics as well as the producer and director," Commission Chairperson Buta Singh told PTI.
"The damage has already been done. The lyrics go against the two laws passed by Parliament and the constitution itself," he said.After the commission gets the affidavits and witnesses of those summoned, it will submit its report to the Parliament, he said.
Aaja Nachle lyrics: Dalit leaders cry foul
Syed Firdaus Ashraf in Mumbai
http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/dec/01aaja3.htm
Now what do you call a cobbler in Hindi?
The obvious answer would be mochi, but Dalit leaders caution that it is a derogatory term and people should refrain from using it.
Speaking to rediff.com, Avinash Mahatekar, national general secretary of the Republican Party of India (Athavle) says, "You cannot call a cobber a mochi. It is an insult to him. The right word for cobbler would be a charmakar. Mochi is a particular caste and if you call a cobbler by that name, it is derogatory and insulting."
Mahatekar, like many other Dalit leaders, feels that it was not right for lyricist Piyush Mishra to use the term mochi in the title track of Aaja Nachle.
Certain Dalit organisations have objected to the line ?Bazaar Mein Machi Hai Mara Maar, Bole Mochi Bhi Khud Ko Sunar.
"According to our Constitution," says Mahatekar, "a person cannot be referred to in terms of his caste. And if you do so you are insulting him. It is objectionable and therefore they should ban this line in the song."
He added, "In the 1990s, a shop in a five star hotel in Mumbai was called Mochi. We objected and then they had to change the name. These things were, are and will always be a sensitive issue for us. Filmmakers should be careful that they don't hurt our sentiments."
According to Prakash Ambedkar, grandson of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, "No mochi minds people calling him so in good faith. However, the proper way is to address him by his name."
"It is illegal and unconstitutional to call someone mochi and you can be prosecuted for doing so," says Ambedkar.
When asked why the goldsmith community had not objected to the usage of the word Sunar in the song, he said, "Even they were upset. I was contacted by some of them and they felt that it was not right to use such words in a poem or song."
Justifying his stance, Ambedkar added, "It is like a profession. For example, Bata is owned by Batas who deal in shoes. So will you refer to Mr Bata as mochi? No. So we should be careful and call our cobbler by his name and that is the only right way."
Dalit leader Udit Raj, who was the first one to raise the issue in New Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, said that the song had no meaning and it unnecessary hurt the sentiments of people.
"There has to be some poetry in the songs. Unfortunately, there is no poetry in the song. There is no aesthetic," he said.
"Everyone in India knows that mochi is a caste. If lyricist Piyush Mishra does not know that, it is unfortunate.. He should have taken care in writing this line and unfortunately, he did not do that," added Raj.
Mochi is not a derogatory word: Aaja Nachle lyricist
Syed Firdaus Ashraf in Mumbai
http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/dec/01aaja.htm
December 01, 2007 11:47 IST
Piyush Mishra, the lyricist of Aaja Nach Le, is surprised and shocked at the ban imposed by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Madhuri Dixit's [Images] comeback movie, allegedly because of certain casteist lyrics in the title song.
Mishra, who hails from Gwalior, points out that the song has been played on radio stations and TV channels innumerable times till now, so why was the objection raised only after the movie's release.
"If they had some objections, they could have raised it when the promos were being aired. Why stir up a controversy now when the film has been released?" queried Mishra.
Stressing that he had not intended to hurt the sentiments of certain castes through his lyrics, Mishra said, "I am a responsible writer and lyricist. I wrote the word mochi (cobbler) and it is not a derogatory word. In fact, chammar is a derogatory word and I have never used it."
Mayawati has termed the lyrics of the title track Bazaar Mein Machi Hai Maar, Bole Mochi Bhi Khud Ko Sunar as casteist.
This line has upset some Dalit organisations as they feel that an unfavourable comparison is being drawn between the backward caste Mochi community and the upper caste Sunar community.
Meanwhile, director Anil Mehta said that the line has been deleted as soon as the objections were raised and now the song is being played across theatres without that particular line.
"The situation for the song is set in a small town India. I have lived in many small towns of India and I have seen people all over the place. It is just that my words have been taken out of context and blown out of proportion," said Mishra.
Mishra, a theatre actor, moved to Mumbai in 2003 from Gwalior. He has acted in films like Shah Rukh Khan [Images] starrer Dil se and Vishal Bharadwaj's Maqbool, in which he played the right hand man of Abbaji (Pankaj Kapur).
He has also penned the screenplay and dialogues of Ajay Devgan [Images] starrer Legend of Bhagat Singh and Jimmy Shergill's [Images] Yahaan [Images].
Actors Manoj Bajpai [Images], N K Sharma, and director Imtiyaz Ali of Jab We Met [Images] fame are his close friends.
"I have worked as a theatre actor and traveled all over India. I know the caste equations and I will never do anything to hurt the sentiments of people," said Mishra
Speaking about the controversy, the writer rued, "Now, every writer will have to rethink his liberty of creative expression. We don't want to hurt anybody's sentiments but people want to make an issue out of a non-issue. It is sad."
Asked whether he will he be careful about his writings in the future, Mishra quipped, "I feel it is better if I stick to acting rather than writing so that I am away from any kind of controversy."
No reason for Aaja Nachle to be banned: Sharmila Tagore
As the Madhuri Dixit [Images] starrer Aaja Nachle ran into trouble over some questionable lyrics, Censor Board Chief Sharmila Tagore on Saturday said that she was ready to apologise if the sentiments of any community were hurt but stressed there was no reason for the film to be banned.
"The music of the film has been in the market for a long time now, but nobody had registered any complaints.. The line has been taken out of context. My committee, which had reviewed the film, had seen it as a profession-based remark and not a caste-based slight or insult," said Tagore.
She said the lyrics to which objections have been raised were meant in a light-hearted manner. It was felt they could not offend anyone.
"Nevertheless, if somebody has been offended and if any particular community has been hurt, then we are prepared to apologise," she said.
Tagore admitted that the line in question, which has been criticised as being insulting to Dalits, was 'slightly overlooked and some miscalculation was made.'
She expressed hope that the controversy will not blow up into a stir.
Tagore welcomed the decision by the filmmakers to voluntarily withdraw the line.
"The state government can ban a film if it creates a law and order problem. But I don't see any reason for any government to ban the film because the questionable line has been removed and I saw the movie myself in a theatre in Mumbai and there was no problem and there were no spontaneous protests anywhere in the country," she said.
SC comm to summon those linked with lyrics of 'Aaja Nachle'
New Delhi: Dancing diva Madhuri Dixit's comeback venture "Aaja Nachle" ran into further trouble on Saturday with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes deciding to summon all those associated with the controversial lyrics used in the film.
Shortly after the Uttar Pradesh and Punjab (rpt) Punjab governments banned the film in their respective states, the commission said it would issue summons to all those associated with the film on Monday and ask them to submit affidavits explaining their position.
"We will summon all the people who have performed, written and cleared the lyrics as well as the producer and director," Commission Chairperson Buta Singh told PTI.
"The damage has already been done. The lyrics go against the two laws passed by Parliament and the constitution itself," he said.
After the commission gets the affidavits and witnesses of those summoned, it will submit its report to the Parliament, he said.
Dasmunsi defends 'Aaja Nachle' in Parliament
New Delhi: A demand for banning of Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit's comeback movie 'Aaja Nachle' was made in Lok Sabha today but government said the matter fell under the jurisdiction of states.
At the same time, Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi told the House that producer Yash Chopra had already announced deletion of portions of the title song that had raised a controversy.
"Government does not interfere in the functioning of the Censor Board which is headed by eminent film personality Sharmila Tagore. The appellate board, where anyone can appeal, is headed by senior judge Usha Mehra," he said adding no one had approached the appellate board so far.
Noting that the Uttar Pradesh government had banned the film, he said the Centre's role was limited to production and censoring while exhibition of films was under state govermments' jurisdiction.
The issue was raised by Ramdas Athawale (RPI) who alleged the title song humiliated Dalits.
He was supported by CPI(M)'s Mohd Salim who said writers and poets, besides the government and the Censor Board, should be more sensitive on such issues which went against democratic principles.
Replying to concerns expressed by members, Dasmunsi said India film producer Yash Chopra had himself realised that it was wrong and had directed that corrections be carried out in the title song.
Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said protests were made and corrective actions carried out.
The issue was raised a day after the Mayawati government banned the film. Punjab government followed suit today.
Mayawati lifts ban after Chopra apology
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Saturday decided to lift the ban imposed on Madhuri Dixit's comeback film "Aaja Nachle" following an apology by producer Yash Chopra who has also decided to remove the objectionable parts of the title song's lyrics.
Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh told IANS: "We have just received a formal apology from Yash Chopra, who has agreed to not only remove the objectionable portions from the title song but has also assured us that he will not use those lines in any of his future films.
"In view of the apology and his assurance, the state government has decided to lift the ban. Movie halls will begin screening the movie by Saturday evening," Singh added.
The state government had Friday banned the screening of the film following objections by Dalit leaders who had alleged that the title song made derogatory insinuations against the community.
Shailesh Khanna, the principal secretary to the chief minister, had Friday said: "The title song contains an objectionable reference to a particular Dalit community. This is against the spirit of the Indian constitution."
"Bazar mein machi hai maramar; bole mochi bhi khud ko sunhar" (There is so much chaos in the market that even a cobbler is calling himself a jeweller) was the objectionable line of the title song.
Trouble first erupted when Udit Raj, who heads the Indian Justice Party, Friday led a demonstration in front of a movie hall in New Delhi where the film was being screened.
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