Lilting pop songs, with young males proudly acclaiming that ‘fanatic’ and ‘violence’ are terms to be celebrated, lyrics and the accompanying visual leaving little to the political imagination. Yes, the past seven years have seen the flourishing of the Hindutvawaadi pop eco-system. The flashy, CGI-saturated, Hindu deity-flashing songs have become a chosen favourite, for politico-religious processions, demonstrations or simple cultural festivities. It is as if the proclamation of the transformation of Indian society and state, needs to be aggressively iterated, online at least. Often in climate favourable states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, even parts of Delhi and UP, real life events also echo these numbers.

YouTube has seen a comfortable proliferation of these video songs. Easy enough to identify, accentuated with comments that praise Hindutva (the ‘Hindu nation’) and liberal use of the slogan, “Jai Shri Ram” are some markers. Others are the threatening use of the term gaddaron (traitors), liberal splattering of threats within the lyrics like kaat dena (cut down, finish off), abuse of the Muslim and places of worship and cultural symbols etc.

The videos itself use the regular motifs of farmers, army personnel in action, angry Hindu Gods, war, holy war, images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and of late Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath (Ajay Bisht).

The only difference in the latest songs is the manner in which singers have become wary that their words may land them in trouble. While some find roundabout ways to talk about targeted persons or communities, others only talk about violence without specifying the target. Still others use images while talking about the violence to imply the target. The spastic nature of video-editing in these videos provides a valid excuse to arbitrarily use photos.

From a quick investigation into this online eco-system located within You-Tube, 2019 seems to be an important dateline marker and the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown a period that saw a burgeoning of this hate music. Then the past few months of 2022, including as recently as six days ago, we see more and more songs uploaded, each with this somberly sinister political intent.

This however, is just the tip of an iceberg. There are now thousands of copycat songs on Youtube. The videos are similar – processions of saffron flag waving men is intercut with news footage while a singer, clad in saffron, gesticulates aggressively. The music is middling, even monotonous. But the lack of sophistry eclipses what this essentially is –  organized propaganda that spreads hate. For some You-tube channels, the views bring in money in proportion to online ‘views’ and even influencer status – added incentives both. But the ultimate destination is the ubiquitous DJ’s playlist in a religious event. These events could be mandatory visarjans, elective shobha yatras or static ‘pandals’. The veneer of a religious ‘occasion’ extends legitimacy because India’s towns and villages have a rich and diverse tradition of religious music. But though the stated intention is religious or celebratory, the agenda is provocation, intimidation and indoctrination. Multiple videos online and news reports from this years’ volatile Ram Navami shobha yatras show how deadly this cocktail is (Khargone, Madhya Pradesh Janakpuri, Delhi). Processions are timed to reach mosques during namaz and the vilest of provocative words are blasted from giant speakers incessantly. Violence often follows. Lives are lost. This should then be called what it essentially is – background music to Hindutva’s bloodlust. The music of a violent time. 

Demand creates supply, one is tempted to generalize. Until one looks closely. Is it possible that there is an organized attempt to produce such songs and disseminate them?  The channel SANGAM DHUN, with sixty five thousand subscribers, hosts about three hundred fifty videos. The videos are unabashedly political and predictably provocative. A song uploaded six days ago has these lyrics

Cheer ke rakh denge hum usko/ buri nazar jo dalega 

Will tear apart those who look at us with evil eyes, 

Hum hai bhagwadhari / Kaun tumhe bacha lega

We are saffron soldiers, who will save you from us 

Sadko pe mazhab ka tamasha ab nahi hone denge..

We will not allow your religious drama on the streets 

(a dog whistle for Muslim friday prayers)

Bhago jahan se aaye ho tum / Fatwa yahan na chalega 

Go back to wherever you are from. Your fatwa won’t work here. 

Yet another song is titled 

Padega danda pichware mein to vande mataram gaoge 

One stick to your backside and you will sing Vande Mataram.

Another one, Main Kattar Hindu Sher Hoon,  uploaded three weeks ago has 3.8k views and showcases, with ‘soft lilting lyrics/ the contrastingly ominous words, How the time for War, the Warriors are here and ready as men on bikes awash with the deep saffron crowd the streets.

A number of songs are about Yogi Adityanath, some are about the prime minister . These videos coexist with Ganesh Arti and other religious music. Some videos have a thousand odd views and some have millions. All videos on the channel are produced by a man called Dharmendra Shukla (Gopal Ji). It is possible that Gopal ji is a great connoisseur of music given the prodigious output of songs on his channel. But the facebook profile of Dharmendra Shukla (Gopal Ji) followed by the Sangam Dhun Facebook page reveals a Lucknow based, middle aged politician with deep links to the bigwigs of the Hindutva ecosystem. In fact a look at his profile gives a sneak peek into the veritable network of Hindutva itself. There is Gopal ji meeting the Indian Defence minister of India, Rajnath Singh and discussing ‘organisational matters’ . While in August 2022, Gopal ji is holding a motorcycle borne tiranga rally in Bahraich, in July he is visiting the Ponda ashram of Sanatan Sanstha and Hindu Janjagriti Samiti (HJS) accused of being complicit in the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, rationalist Narendra Dabholkar and communist Govind Pansare. In fact, Gopal Ji’s trip to Goa is eventful – he meets not only Pramod Sawant, the Chief Minister, but Digambar Kamat (erstwhile Congress) too. In Goa he has a tete-a tete with a journalist, BJP spokesperson and twitter troll extraordinaire Savio Rodriguez. Gopal ji’s profile describes him as the National Secretary of an organization called Rashtriya Yuva Vahini Sangh.

Another song uploaded five months ago, on Sangham Dhum, has 7.45k views. Clearly this is a propaganda song for the ruling dispensation and its ideology of bashing India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

Yeh NHehru wala Desh nahi, Ye Modi waala Bharat hai

So why and how is a small-time, right wing politician, with access to big-time right wing politicians investing money in Hindutva pop? Perhaps the answer lies in another question – What is Hindutva pop’s importance in India’s right-wing ecosystem? 

SLJ MUSIC PRODUCTION: this channel has 9.87 k subscribers and one of the songs is

Kattar Hindu Vadi Song

Ham Dharm Sanatav Vale Hai

The Upendra Rana Channel (398k subscribers) clearly appeals to Rajput Raghuvanshi ‘superior’ caste identity. The song, uploaded six days ago has already 51k views: highlights BJP, Bajrang Dal and Hindu Yuva Vahini leaders from the same caste: sword-wielding men are seen gathering proudly flexing muscles. The video showcases ‘prominent persons’ from this caste, Raghuvanshi Rajput BJP ‘Neta’, Mukhul Singh Jadhav from Sultanpur (sword wielding, moustache turning) Sandeep Raghavan (Bajrang Dal), Ramu Raghav (Hindu Vahini), Lokesh Raghav etc. Clearly caste presence and consolidation within the wider Hindutva eco-system is a key mobiliser.

Here’s a continuing list of a few recent songs that have used this tactic to spread Hindutva online.

This story was originally published in sabrangindia.in . Read the full story here