One of the first ‘controversies’ this election season was the way the BJP candidate for Asansol—Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh—suddenly withdrew from the election fray. Hours after Singh’s name was announced, several videos surfaced showing his Bhojpuri song and dance routines titled ‘Bengal ki Hasina’ and ‘Sauteen Bangaliya se’. Contesting from West Bengal and at the same time depicting Bengal’s women in outrageously misogynist terms is hardly appropriate for someone hoping to be a Member of Parliament from the state.
The massive backlash against Singh on social media contributed to his withdrawal and showed that women (and men) are increasingly tackling sexism and chauvinism head on. There is a growing refusal to tolerate openly discriminatory messaging. How can you hope to be a Member of Parliament from Bengal and participate in songs that describe Bengali women as “Bengal ki maal”?
