H-POP: The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars
by Kunal Purohit
HARPERCOLLINS
₹499; 306 pages
In 2019, journalist Kunal Purohit found himself in Gumla, a sleepy town in southern Jharkhand where, as he puts it, "nothing noteworthy happens." But, in 2017, something did happen. That year, a Ramnavami procession-traditionally "a demonstration of peaceful coexistence" between the town's Hindu and Muslim residents-sparked off communal tensions. Later that night, some Hindu men returning from the procession lynched and killed a local Muslim man they saw with a Hindu woman. Two years later, as Purohit talked to locals to understand what triggered the confrontation and violence, he came across an unlikely potential answer: the incendiary music blaring out of the procession's PA system, brawny bass beats laid over lyrics like "toss the mullah's cap to the ground".
This story is from the February 26, 2024 edition of India Today.
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This story is from the February 26, 2024 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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