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Ginni Mahi |
Singing about the caste-system and pursuing a goal that one of India's legendary leader, Dr B R Ambedkar, dreamed of, teenager Ginni Mahi is a force to reckon with. Through her thoughtful music and her undaunted fight against inequality and the social malaise in the form of the caste system, Ginni remains one of the most enduring and empowering youth voices in India today.
My name is Ginni Mahi, and I’m also known
as Gurkanwal Bharti. I was born in Jalandhar, Punjab, in a region called Doaba,
which is largely Dalit-dominated. My parents, Rakesh and Paramjeet Kaur Mahi
have always encouraged me. I began singing when I was seven – my father had
taken me to his friend, who then began to train me. I sang in several
multi-artist albums, but have also done a bunch of solo albums, as well. I’ve
also been sought at to perform at the cultural and religious congregations of
the Dalit community, especially the Ravidassia community, which is a breakaway religion
of the Dalit community from Sikhism.
I am from a
middle-class family, and my parents have been my greatest support. My father,
especially, has been one of the biggest factors in shaping my journey with music
so far. My grandmother is also a fierce source of strength and support for me,
because I get my strength from her. I never leave the house without her
blessings.
I began singing when I
was quite young – having learned devotional and classical music at first. My
intention was to begin by remembering my gurus and Gods, and then progress
onward in the journey of music. I didn’t think of myself as an activist or as
someone who was doing something beyond singing. It is only recently that I
began speaking out about social issues that need attention, through my
music.
I sing in Punjabi. My song, Danger Chamar, has a story behind it. A
classmate in school asked me
my caste, and I told her I belong to the SCs. She
asked me which, and I told her I was a Chamar. She laughingly told me that she
had to be careful because Chamars were “dangerous.” Although she was innocent,
the casteism stung. She is still my
friend, though – but the song certainly was in aid of addressing a social
malaise. On YouTube, the song has over 80,000 views, and my sequel song, Danger 2, has crossed
over 4,00,000 views. My songs hold reverence to the likes of Sant Ravidas and
Dr B R Ambedkar.
I began singing when I
was quite young – having learned devotional and classical music at first. My
intention was to begin by remembering my gurus and Gods, and then progress
onward in the journey of music. I didn’t think of myself as an activist or as
someone who was doing something beyond singing. It is only recently that I
began speaking out about social issues that need attention, through my
music.
That said, I don’t say that I sing only
caste-songs. I sing about equality – like Dr Ambedkar explained, the essence of
it is non-discrimination and basic humanity. Sample these lyrics: (translated
from Punjabi)
“I am the daughter of Baba Sahib who wrote the constitution. We are
earning our bread by what he wrote. I am such a fan of such thinking, I am a
fan of such thinking who gave sacrifice for us. He was a lion who made his pen
an arrow. He fought fir rights and truth and changed our destiny. He became an
angel for the community. The whole world knows this.”
I don’t write my own
songs – my songs are usually written by other lyricists. It is really
important, though, for me, to sing these songs about the caste system, about
equality and about the value of a free society because having been born in a
family with many, many stories of caste oppression, I have learned a lot from
my family and my grandparents.
I am also a fierce
supporter of gender empowerment. While it is definitely important to empower
women, it is also important to acknowledge that there are other genders who are
oppressed. In their interests, we must make all efforts to include them in any
quest for equality. With that in mind, it is my dream and aspiration that
everyone in society should study, and should work hard to get an education,
especially girls. There are many parents who prevent their daughters from being
educated, and I really want to tell them that in today’s world, especially, education
is as vital as food, shelter and clothing. Don’t deprive your girls of it. I am
a firm believer of Dr Ambedkar’s words – Educate, increase awareness and
mobilise. People should educate themselves and understand what is happening
around them, in the world immediately around them, and beyond.
Someday, I want to
sing in Bollywood. I value Lata Mangeshkar a lot – listen to her voice over the
years, and you’ll see it has remained the same. Someday, I want to be as great
as her. I want to leave a legacy that people will remember me by, for years and
years to come.