Neha Singh Rathore is a popular folk singer who composes songs and sings in Bhojpuri, a language spoken in large parts of eastern UP and western Bihar in north India.
I had never heard of her until a couple of years ago I heard some of her songs on youtube which say ‘ka ba’ ( i.e. what is going on ? ) e.g. ‘UP mein ka ba ‘ ( i.e. what is going on in UP ? ), ‘Bihar mein ka ba’ ( i.e. what is going on in Bihar’ ? ), ‘MP mein ka ba’ ( i.e. what is going on in MP ? ), etc.
Unlike earlier Bhojpuri singers who usually sang sentimental, romantic, and maudlin songs, Neha composes and sings songs on serious political and social issues bedevilling the nation. Consider these about UP, the biggest state in India
These songs were critical of the UP administration. Politicians in India, particularly those who are in power, are very touchy, and have a short fuse. Consequently a criminal case was instituted against her alleging sedition and arousing hatred.
In this connection the leader of the opposition in the UP Legislative Assembly, Akhilesh Yadav, head of the Samajwadi Party, told the Chief Minister of UP Yogi Adityanath of the BJP in the state assembly that he should not mind criticism, referring to Neha’s song, and said that he had got published cartoons critical of himself..
Shortly after Neha put up her songs ‘UP mein ka ba’ on youtube, she received a notice under section 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code from a police sub inspector of a police station in Kanpur Dehat district, ordering her to appear before him for questioning. This so much shocked Neha that she was hospitalised.
She somehow contacted me, and I told her that the notice was totally illegal. A bare perusal of section 160 shows that a police sub inspector in charge of a police station can issue such notice to a person present within the jurisdiction of his own police station, or an adjoining police station. Neha was living with her husband in Delhi when policemen from Kanpur came to serve the notice on her. So the notice was clearly illegal, and I told Neha that there was nothing to worry about, and she should relax. Obviously the police sub inspector who had issued the notice had not even read section 160 Cr.P.C., and he would become a laughing stock once people came to know of his goofiness.
Neha came with her husband to meet me in my flat in Noida, and I told her she was a brave woman who through her songs was fighting for the poor and distressed people of India. I also said that the notice against her was wholly illegal, and just shows that policemen often do not know the law.
I told Neha that she reminded me of the great Hindi poetess Meerabai, who too, like Neha, was a social rebel
I also said that she was of the clan of Durgadas Rathore, who fought against Aurangzeb, and so she was inherently fearless
I said the question was not just ‘UP mein ka ba’ or ‘MP mein ka ba’ but ‘Hindustan mein ka ba ?’
Apart from UP, Neha has sang songs on other states and other issues too. Some are given below, while many others can be seen on youtube.
Neha is critical of politicians who make false promises e.g. Modi’s promise to give Rs 15 lacs to every Indian.
This is a satire on the liquorgate scam in Delhi
On Neha’s request I also sang a song
( I had sung this earlier in a waleema dinner )
Long live Neha Singh Rathore !
