Who is Singer Upendra Rana creating Pop Music for Hindu Rashtra?

Rajput-Hindutva pop sensation Upendra Rana from Uttar Pradesh is seen delivering an anti-Muslim message in a popular music video. "India is for Hindus, Muslims go to Pakistan." These songs are typical of a growing pop music movement in India as right-wing anti-Muslim songs.

Upendra Rana from Rasulpur village in Dadri block, 15 km from Dasna town in western UP, where these high-achieving priests live, Rana said that the video, which has been shared over 1.5 lakhs on YouTube. More often seen, was made only after the consent of Narasimhananda.

Dressed in a simple white shirt with dark pants, middle-aged and slightly bearded, Rana looks like a friendly bank clerk in the video, if you look at the sword he holds from time to time. And ignore the gun and bloodthirsty words, move forward for the sake of religion and now take up arms (which he sings with an enthusiastic melody).

The song, entitled Narasimhanand Jagave, was recorded at the Dasna Devi Temple in Ghaziabad (UP), where Mahant himself is Yeti Narasimhanand. It depicts a sadhu in orange attire, mostly in the background, and Rana praises him as the only defender of Hinduism.

He sings about the glorious history of this combatant caste, while also praising modern Thakur victors like Yogi Adityanath, asking those who have forgotten their heritage to take up arms. The issue of 'Hindu pride' often fits with these themes raised by him. Rana himself says that Yeti Narasimhanand is not a Rajput, but his ideology matches the values ​​this singer believes in.

Singer Upendra Rana's songs have been adding to the fire in the past, witnessing incidents of communal riots and lynchings by mobs, and in a region considered socially and politically unstable in the country.

For some of the millions of Indian Muslims, who make up 14% of the country's 1.4 billion people, these songs are the clearest example of growing anti-Muslim sentiment across the country. They fear that hate music is another tool in the hands of Hindu nationalists to target them.

There are concerns that music released amid escalating anti-Muslim hostility will further fuel violence. "There are messages for Muslims," ​​said Rana, the owner of one of the songs.

The language of hostility in the South Asian country, where the oppression of Muslims intensified, was transferred to the lyrics.

Singers like Upendra Rana see that their music is spread and loved by far-right Hindus in India. "Muslims go to Pakistan" In texts aimed at Muslims, "India for Hindus, Muslims go to Pakistan", "Hindus are worried, Hindus feel betrayed" expressions are included.

Singer Upendra Rana about the words that are at the center of the reactions: "There are messages for Muslims. They must smooth their way, not mock the Hindus.

Similar songs that called on Hindus to kill those who do not sing "Jai Sri Ram!" or "Greetings, Lord Ram", a slogan that became the battle cry of Hindu nationalists, was also heard in front of mosques in several Indian cities on the same day.

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