Kashmiris Rap on Rights SLUG: India Kashmir rap Reporters: Felix Gaedtke and Gayatri Parameswaran Date: 21 !

" 2!12 I#$R% Rap m&si' has 'ome to Kashmir ( and now it)s a *oi'e +or yo&th dissent, -Protest rap) started two years a.o/ when tho&sands o+ Kashmiris demonstrated in the streets a.ainst India)s hea*y military presen'e, #ow there are o*er a do0en renowned protest rappers in Kashmir/ who ha*e to per+orm in se'ret to a*oid arrest, 1sia 2allin.)s Felix Gaedtke and Gayatri Parameswaran pi'k &p the 3eat, $45$ SF5 2: So&nd tra'k 6I Protest7 84D U#D4R $hat)s -I Protest) ( an anthem +or Kashmiri demonstrators two years a.o, $hat)s when h&ndreds o+ people were killed 3y Indian paramilitary a'tions in Kashmir, $he son.)s 3y lo'al rapper 92 Kash/ with lyri's that say 69y paradise is 3&rnin. with troops let loose with ammo,7 :e)s 'ele3rated as one o+ Kashmir)s +irst protest rappers/ and he 'hose to rap in 4n.lish to tell the world what was happenin., :is m&si' means he has to per+orm in se'ret ; a+ter the son. was released online/ poli'e raided the st&dio where he re'orded it/ and <&estioned sta++ to try and tra'k him down, Kashmir has +a'ed 'on+li't sin'e 1=>" ( 3oth India and Pakistan 'laim the territory/ and ha*e +o&.ht three wars o*er it, $oday Kashmir)s ?alley is home to o*er hal+ a million Indian troops, 1nti;India sentiment r&ns deep +or most o+ the territory)s 1! million 'iti0ens, SF5 1: :a0e Kay rappin. Rap started in Kashmir se*eral years a.o ( 3&t now the protest rappers are in the spotli.ht, :a0e Kay/ who is in his 2!s/ is another +amo&s protest rapper in the ?alley,

:is son. -10aadi) means -+reedom) in Urd&, Last year poli'e +or'ed him to take it down +rom the we3site Re*er3#ation ( most +ans listen to protest rap online, :e says his m&si' is a3o&t Kashmir)s reality, :a0e Kay 'lip 1 @9ale 4n.lishA !!:B!C: 61 lot o+ thin.s ha*e happened/ a lot o+ thin.s are happenin., Like in Kashmir also/ yo& mi.ht see day;do;day protests on the $?, $here will 3e stone;pelters and e*erythin., 9y m&si' is related to that, Dhy does a person .o on the road and protestE Dhy does a person need to pi'k &p stones and stone some3ody in the .o*ernmentE 9y m&si' raises those iss&es, $hey 'annot rea'h the media/ they 'annot rea'h the masses/ 3&t I am pro*idin. them a medi&m, Fo& .i*e me yo&r messa.es/ yo& .i*e me yo&r words/ yo&r +eelin.s and I will spread it to the rest o+ the world, $hat is what my m&si' is doin.,7 Protest rappers <&estion h&man ri.hts *iolations in their m&si', Last year Per*e0 Imro0/ a h&man ri.hts lawyer/ &n'o*ered mass .ra*es with o*er 2/!!! 3odies, :e says most o+ these 3odies 'ome +rom +or'ed disappearan'es 3y the Indian military, $he State :&man Ri.hts 2ommission later 'on+irmed Imro0)s +indin.s, :a0e Kay a.ain, :a0e Kay 'lip 2 @9ale 4n.lishA !!:>GC: 6Dhere did these .ra*es 'ome +romE Dho are the people who are 3&ried in themE 1nd i+ there are so many people 3&ried in them/ the point is when did this happenE It has 3een happenin. sin'e 1! or 1G years, 8&t no3ody knows a3o&t it, $hat is what my m&si' +o'&ses on, I+ somethin. is happenin./ i+ it is wron./ it sho&ld 3e 3ro&.ht to H&sti'e, People sho&ld know a3o&t it, I am H&st sayin. I am li*in. here, I am present/ I am .ood *oter/ I *ote, I parti'ipate in ele'tions, $hen .i*e me my ri.hts, Gi*e me H&sti'e, Gi*e me a sit&ation/ .i*e me a pla'e where I +eel sa+e,7 :a0e)s mother interr&pts &s, SF5 B: :a0e Kay)s mother She says she)s s'ared her son will .et into tro&3le +or 'riti'isin. the .o*ernment, She has .ood reason ( many protest rappers +a'e threats and intimidation, 1nother rapper 92 Fo&n.3lood/ whose o++sta.e name is Iasim :yder/ is also a+raid, SF5 >: 92 Fo&n.3lood so&nd tra'k

92 Fo&n.3lood 'lip 1 @9ale 4n.lishA !!:2!C: 6I had heard that st&dios are re.&larly raided 3y the poli'e, I tho&.ht same wo&ld happen to me and i+ I am arrested/ I will 3e slapped with the PS1 1't and the rest o+ my li+e is .one, $hen I am in Hail,7 $he PS1 or P&3li' Sa+ety 1't allows poli'e to detain s&spe'ts +or &p to two years witho&t 'har.e/ i+ a&thorities say they)re a threat to the state, :&man ri.hts .ro&p 1mnesty International reported that in 2!1! alone &p to 2!!! people/ in'l&din. 'hildren/ were arrested &nder the 1't, Protest rappers ha*e p&t their m&si' at the 'entre o+ Kashmir)s str&..les, 8&t not e*eryone wants to &se it that way, SF5 G: P&nHa3i rappers rappin. #on;politi'al rap has 3een aro&nd +or se*eral years/ and it)s also .ettin. 3i..er, -Rap Impa't) is Kashmir)s +irst e*er rap 'ontest ; it)s on next month, 4ntry is open to all 3&t there)s one 'ondition: no protest rap is allowed, DJ 1ki +rom the e*ent mana.ement 'ompany 9ark&s Kra+t is 3ehind the 'ompetition, DJ 1ki 'lip 1 @9ale 4n.lishA !!:B!C: 6Look/ honestly speakin. a3o&t Kashmiri rap/ many .&ys do protest rappin./ whi'h I ha*e stri'tly +or3idden in this e*ent 3e'a&se I don)t want that people sho&ld .et *iolent, In the a&dien'e/ they .et *iolent and do any kind o+ mishap whi'h 'an lead to the de+amin. o+ this pro.ramme, Simply we are artists/ we are not politi'ians,7 $he 1rshad 3rothers/ :a3i3 and :am0a/ will Hoin the 'ontest, 1";year old :am0a has 3een rappin. +or +o&r years now/ and &ses his mother)s lan.&a.e P&nHa3i, :am0a 1rshad 'lip 1 @9ale 4n.lishA !!:2GC: 6I 3asi'ally rap in P&nHa3i, I ha*e learned P&nHa3i rap +rom my mentor 8ohemia, For the past +o&r years/ I ha*e 3een 'ontin&o&sly doin. P&nHa3i rap, I+ yo& .o to the 3asi' de+inition o+ rap/ it means rhythm and poetry, It means yo& ha*e to express yo&r *iews,,,7 8&t :am0a and his 3rother say they don)t ha*e any politi'al *iews on Kashmir, :am0a 1rshad 'lip 2 @9ale 4n.lishA !!:!GC: 6I lo*e India, It)s my motherland,7 $he 'ontest is set to make an impa't on the lo'al s'ene, 8&t protest rappers ha*en)t slowed down,

SF5 K: 92 Fo&n.3lood .ra*e rap $hat)s 92 Fo&n.3lood a.ain/ with his son. -$he Final Stand,) It also hi.hli.hts the mass .ra*es ( its lyri's talk a3o&t 6Fo&ntains o+ 3lood r&n thro&.h paradise/ silen'e o*er .ra*eyards 3roken 3y dreaded 'riesL7 1s lon. as *iolen'e 'ontin&es in Kashmir/ so will the dissent, Dith Felix Gaedtke this is Gayatri Parameswaran +or 1sia 2allin. in K ashmir/ India,