It’s being played on FM, social media, IPL matches, and in theatres soon

Babus and bhangra rap are an incongruity. Beating this stereotype, a woman IAS officer in Punjab’s Mohali district has come out with a rap song, asking voters to exercise their right to vote to realise their aspirations and not to be lured by money and liquor. Her inspiration? The recent Bollywood movie Gully Boy.

Sakshi Sawhney, Mohali’s Additional Deputy Commissioner, who has written the song in Hindi with a local Punjabi touch, focuses on creating awareness among voters to value their vote and exercise their right to bring the change they desire.

The lyrical video starts with “Aa raha yeh chunav hai, Hamara bhi to koi adhikaar hai, vote nahin karega to kya wajood bhadas ki? Paisa daaru vote ke liye kya wajood hai aas ki?..”. Translated, it means “Election time is here, We have some rights too, if you don’t vote then what’s the point of your anger? If you trade your vote for money-liquor then what’s the point of having hope.”

Sung by a babu

The song has been sung by Hiten Kapila, the block development and panchayat officer at Majri village. It also asks the youth to get themselves registered as voters by filling the Form 6, urging them to caste vote instead of regretting later.

Ms. Sawhney said the purpose of the song is to persuade the youth to get themselves registered as voters besides urging people to vote on moral grounds.

The lyrics also convey a message to the voter that with voter verifiable paper audit trail in the Electronic Voting Machines, his/her vote is safe.

‘Lyrical video’

“It’s a lyrical video, which is already available on the social media. Besides the song is being played by the local FM to create awareness,” said Ms. Sawhney, adding that the administration is now planning to play the song in Mohali cinema halls soon. “We are in talks with cinema hall owners in Mohali, where the song would be played before the start of the movie. The rap song is already being played during the matches of the Indian Premier League being held in Mohali,” she said.

Further, the local administration has been working on electorate awareness building with basic knowledge of the electoral process through mobile vans. “We have a mobile van going around villages with election related information. The rap song would also be now a part of it,” said Ms. Sawhney.