'Local flavour' videos criticising Amarinder Singh government go viral on social media

JALANDHAR: Video clips of some street artists singing 'bollian' (couplets) against Capt Amarinder Singh government have gone viral in the last few days. While at first look these may seem like spontaneous reactions of the commoners, the Congress says these have been produced at the behest of rival political parties.

The functionaries and workers of opposition parties are obviously more than happy to share and spread these short musical videos as creative sarcasm attracts more attention than speech of any political leader.

The first such video that went viral has as a few women in everyday attire sitting on the rooftop of some building. They appear like normal group of women from any neighbourhood, the likes of which can often be spotted singing and greeting families on happy occasions especially at marriage venues.

In this video originality and simplicity of their style of singing with clapping has been maintained and the only instrument used is a steel utensil which one of them plays like adholak.

The first boli in the video goes: "Laarian ne tere saanu khaa lia/Jhotthe laariaan ne, hath rakht gutke te sahuan khanda see Damdame sahib wala hath janda see/kalle kalle ghar vich naukri mein daungaa/gapp niklee punjab saara gah lia' (your false promises have frustrated us, you swore with a Gutka in your hand and pointing towards Takht Damdama Sahib that you would provide one job in each family, but we found it to be a lie after touring the entire state)."

While this and other videos have focused on failures of the government, the second couplet in this video gives a clue as it has been woven around kabaddi, "Chaavan naal munde see kabaddi khelde/jido jidi rehnde seege dand pelde/khed vall keeta na dhian maan de putta/vehle kar ke unhan noon bitha lia (The youth used to play kabaddi with a lot of interest and would do pushups while competing with each other, but you have made them sit at home)."

The women also take digs at Captain's government on hike in power bills and its alleged failure in controlling the drugs in four weeks as it concludes with couplet while addressing the CM as, "Rajia, ik gall sun chhindo kann kar ke, haan mindro/char hafte ch nashe band kar te, naa mindro/gapp vadde vadde maare aiven gallan naal saare/bhed khul gia rahia tere...telephone milia kee tere munde noo, naa arrie smart phone milia kee tere munde noon, naa arrie."

In another video eunuchs sing and dance while their aides play a harmonium and a dholak. It opens with tagline, "Raje noo vote naa paungee mera dil ghabrave (I will not vote for Raja, I have a sinking feeling)." It then takes digs on the issue of power bills, failure in Atta-Daal scheme, harassment in police stations, courts, delay in payment of salaries and denying TA and DA.

Both the clips are a little over three minutes.

Third clip is of Malwai giddha by a group of six men. It also takes dig at the Congress government while addressing the CM as 'Raja of Patiala'Like other videos, it too talks about vow to provide jobs to youth. This clip is a little over two minutes.

The videos have been shared by the Shiromani Akali Dal, AAP supporters and even by those who oppose all the three parties. Meanwhile, another video of a girl singing Modi Mirza (on the tune of popular Punjabi folk song Mirza) apparently in some function has also gone viral as it takes digs at PM Narendra Modi.

"Even as these videos have been kept simple but it is clear that these have been produced at the behest of a political party," said Congress vice-president Himanshu Pathak, when contacted.