Who are you? What you even doing in here?
Pardon my ignorance, but lately too many immigrants in India
Did you sneak in through the border? You look Chinese
I ain’t racist, I just judged you based on how your stupid face is
See, you got little eyes and no eyebrows
What, you think you Indian? Ha, I doubt!
THESE PROVOCATIVE LYRICS by rapper Big Deal would probably sit right with the current political climate; one in which many Assam residents have lost their ‘Indianness’ thanks to the final list of the National Register of Citizens. Born to a Japanese mother and an Odiya father, Samir Rishu Mohanty, aka Big Deal, also felt “un-Indian” while at boarding school in Darjeeling. “I would be teased for my small eyes and un-Indian features,” says the Bengaluru-based rapper. “Most songs have been written from my own experience. Them having a social [relevance] is merely a coincidence.”
Mohanty, 29, took to rapping after watching 8 Mile, the 2002 Hollywood film on American rapper Eminem.
“Growing up, it almost felt like I was not good at anything. But watching this film changed my life as it was so inspirational. So, I took up [rapping] as a hobby and it evolved into a full-time thing,” he says. His songs are in Odiya and English; topics vary from racism and police brutality in the northeast to student suicides. Language is clearly not a barrier for Mohanty, whose songs ‘Mu Heli Odia’ and ‘Khusi Ta’ about the people of Odisha have garnered more than 1.5 million views together. He says wants his music to do the talking.
ALL FOR JUSTICE
Esta historia es de la edición October 06, 2019 de THE WEEK.
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Esta historia es de la edición October 06, 2019 de THE WEEK.
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A golden girl
One of India's most formidable beauties passed away earlier this month. The odd thing is she would absolutely hate this obituary; she hated being written about and avoided publicity for all of her nine decades. Indira Aswani was 93 when she died. But anyone who encountered her, even briefly, was in such awe of her grace and poise, and one could not but remember her forever.
The interest in wine is growing delightfully in India
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United in the states
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COVER DRIVE
Usage-driven motor insurance policies offer several benefits
GDP as the only measure of progress is illogical
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India is not a controlling big brother
Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay considers India a benevolent elder sibling as the \"big brotherly attitude\" is happily missing from bilateral ties. He thinks the relationship shared by the two countries has become a model of friendship not just for the region, but for the entire world. \"India's attitude is definitely not of a big brother who is controlling and does not allow the little brother to blossom and grow,\" says Tobgay in an exclusive interview with THE WEEK.
Comrade with no foes
Lal Salaam, Comrade Yechury-you were quite a guy!
Pinning down saffron
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MAKE IN MANIPUR
Home-made rockets and weapons from across the border are escalating the conflict
SAHEB LOSES STEAM
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