Sit idle and win — Punjab contest goes viral

A quirky contest titled ‘Vehle Rehan Da Muqabla’ (competing to stay idle) has taken Punjab’s countryside by storm. First organised by a youngster at Gehal village in the Mehal Kalan Assembly constituency of Barnala district, the unusual idea is now inspiring other villages to host their own editions. The video of the first event has crossed two million views on Instagram.

The brain behind the trend, Gurjit Singh, a registered medical practitioner and YouTuber, said the idea was born out of a desire to create some fun while encouraging people to stay away from their mobile phones. At the Gehal event, participants were required to sit idle--no phones, no games, no washroom breaks or even sleep breaks.

The entry fee was fixed at Rs 100 and the prize money was Rs 4,500 for the last person sitting idle. “Residents of my village initially laughed at me, and some even said it was a copy of the famous reality show ‘Bigg Boss’. But ours is totally different. We hosted it at our home and kept everything simple. Each participant was given a water bottle, biscuits, chips, a mattress and a blanket. We allowed only 50 entries, but people from far-flung areas, including Rajasthan, wanted to participate. The entire contest was videographed for transparency,” Gurjit said.

Keep away from mobile phone

‘Vehle Rehan Da Muqabla’ encourages people to stay away from mobile phones

Participants compete to do nothing and the show has turned a big hit in rural parts

One such event in Barnala barred not just phones, but also washroom and sleep breaks

The event also produced some memorable moments. “An elderly man began reciting the ‘paath’ around 12.30 pm and continued till 4 am. A youngster from Mansa read five books. Six participants were still sitting after more than 20 hours, so we decided to split the prize money among them and increased the consolation prize as well, considering health concerns due to the no-washroom rule,” he added.

Inspired by the buzz, Raja Singh of Gholia Khurd village in Moga district said they are holding their contest on November 30, with entries opening a day earlier. “We are already getting a lot of calls. It is a unique idea and everyone is excited. We are giving cash prizes of Rs 4,500, Rs 2,500 and Rs 1,500 to the first, second and third position holders,” he said.

With more villages lining up similar events, the latest craze suggests that in an age glued to screens, the toughest challenge may simply be to sit still, and do nothing, said a participant at Gehal.

The organisers claimed that it was purely a fun activity and, therefore, they did not seek any kind of permission from the authorities. A senior officer in the Health Department said that they were unaware of any such activity, and would check if it fell under their purview.