Bhajans replace Bollywood glitz, devotion to the fore in Sirsa

Anil Kakkar

Sirsa, May 22

The Sirsa Lok Sabha constituency, known once for attracting Bollywood celebrities during elections, is now hosting bhajan singers. In Ellenabad area of Sirsa constituency, the Kanda brothers and the BJP organised a devotional music event featuring songs like “Jo Ram ko laye hain, hum unko layenge” and “Hum Hindu hain babbar sher”. Thousands of attendees enthusiastically chanted “Jai Shri Ram” and “Modi zindabad” at the event.

The BJP has been making strong efforts to saturate Sirsa with saffron symbols, including flags with images of Lord Ram on auto-rickshaws and vegetable carts. BJP leaders, including local MLA Gopal Kanda, now use saffron flags instead of green signals to start bike and scooter rallies. Slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” resonate at BJP rallies and public gatherings in Sirsa.

Method to distract from key issues

This religious turn in campaigning is appreciable but the over-involvement of religion in elections is wrong, as it is a mode of distraction from key issues. —Rahul Grover, Sirsa Resident

The election in the Sirsa Lok Sabha constituency has become a matter of prestige for the BJP. The Congress has intensified the poll battle by nominating its veteran leader Kumari Selja. The saffron party has fielded Ashok Tanwar, who has switched several parties, against four-time MP Kumari Selja.

The Congress is conducting a traditional campaign with scheduled public meetings and interactions, featuring central leaders like Sachin Pilot and Jairam Ramesh. Priyanka Gandhi is set to hold a roadshow for the Congress in Sirsa on Thursday.

Vehicles in Sirsa now prominently display saffron flags and the BJP is inviting bhajan singers instead of Bollywood artistes for election campaigns. On Tuesday night in Ellenabad, Gopal Kanda and the BJP organised a programme featuring famous bhajan singer Geetaben Rabari from Ahmedabad. The event was also attended by BJP district chief Natasha Sihag.

During the event, Geetaben Rabari performed devotional songs, while Gopal and Govind Kanda danced joyfully for about half an hour, joined by hundreds of other locals. MLA Gopal Kanda announced plans to arrange free trains for devotees to visit the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

“During Jawaharlal Nehru’s time, there was only one Muslim (Jinnah) who divided India into two parts. Now, there are 15-16 such individuals in the country. If they gain power, the country could be fragmented into 15-16 pieces,” he told a gathering.

This is the first time Kanda has invited a bhajan singer for campaigning. Previously, he had invited artistes like Mika Singh, Sapna Chaudhary, comedian Bharti, Sunil Grover and Ali Asgar for his campaigns. Geetaben Rabari will also perform at Bhagat Singh Chowk in Sirsa on Wednesday night, marking the first time that the Kanda brothers are organising a devotional evening during elections.