Gandhi’s impact onBihar’s music
The Hindu
Singer Chandan Tiwari’s collation of folk songs from 1857 to 1947 captures the mood of the freedom struggle
Music was central to Gandhi’s philosophy. In 2017, to commemorate 100 years of the Champaran Satyagraha (1917), Chandan Tiwari, an independent folk artist from Bihar, collated Gandhi Geet from the folk songs of his State. Former journalist and scholar Nirala Bidesia, who worked with Chandan to source and document these songs, recalls, “They aroused emotions even 100 years later. Many others came up with songs, which had been lost and forgotten, and we added them too.” Chandan, composer and singer, calls her repertoire, ‘Purbiyataan’, or folk songs of the East. Born in Bihar’s Badaka village, she says, “We realised that Gandhi had left a deep impact on the culture of Bihar and it is reflected in the songs.” Chandan and Nirala have sourced folk songs that belong to the category of ‘desh geet’ for Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav on August 15. “From 1857 to 1947, folk songs took on the colour of resistance to colonial rule. Shaadi ke geet (wedding songs); sohar (sung when a child is born); chaiti, kajri, hori (songs of the season); ropni (performed during sowing paddy); katni geet (performed during the harvesting season)... all began to reflect the freedom struggle,” says Nirala. In one song, Gandhi is portrayed as both groom and brother-in-law, who will bring swaraj as the bride price: Gandhi baba banle dhulhawa, dulhin bani sarkar... /Haithin vilayati, binthi kare saab, jija gaone mei debo swaraj, charka chaalu rahe. (Gandhi is the bridegroom, the ruler is the bride. The officer says he will give freedom with the farewell of the bride, keep spinning the charkha.)
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