NREGA to statehood, musically :HT

A rural boy band is making waves in Bundelkhand region. The boys entertain in regional dialect though none of their songs are romantic. The group is christened 'Sur Lehariya' and says its music is of 'awareness' genre.

Sur Lehariya sings songs on drought, farmer suicides, water problems, falling underground water level, education, health-hygiene, trees, animals, birds and mid-day meals or NREGA (a rural employment scheme). Their music also stresses on Bundelkhand statehood demand.

Ashok Bundelkar, 25, the group leader says, "Our entertainment is inspirational and motivational without being religious or spiritual. We musically educate rural people in the language they understand best."

So they have a song to nudge village students not to drop out and finish education till at least graduation level. The song goes like this, 'Gaon ki koilee raani masterni hoi gai re (a village girl has turned teacher)'

Ashok Bundelkar is the lead singer, lyricist and composer. Swami Deen, 28, plays 'harmonium'. Sunny, 14, plays 'ghada' (terracotta urn), Rajkumar, 24 plays 'dholak' (percussion) and Ashish Kumar, who is in class tenth plays 'tabla' (percussion).

A degree holder homeopath, SK Ranjan, who is not a musician, assembled Sur Lehariya. "Sur Lehariya was assembled as a cultural branch of our Bundelkhand Gana Parishad," said Dr Ranjan who is the chairperson of the parishad that works on drought and associated social issues.

Ranjan said that there were not any contemporary regional folk songs. "All the regional folk songs and lyrics that we hear are historical and do not talk about current issues. So I assembled this group to entertain and educate illiterate people who learn quickly through songs and dance," he said.

The group was assembled in March and has done 24 performances in Banda, Mahoba, Chitrakoot and Hamirpur. And has been getting invitation (to perform) from all the twelve Bundelkhand region districts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

One of the songs that appeal all audience in the region is, 'Ghar-ghar mein anaaj hoi, Bundelkhand raaj jab hoi (every household will have food when Bundelkhand turns separate state)'.

All the group members have rural background-Rajkumar is a farmer, Swami Deen earns his living by teaching music to children, Ashok Bundelkar is a stenographer at a Sales Tax office in Banda and the other two are school students.
Sorce:http://www.hindustantimes.com/NREGA-to-statehood-musically/Article1-563975.aspx
Pankaj Jaiswal, Hindustan Times
Email Author
Banda, June 27, 2010
First Published: 18:42 IST(27/6/2010)
Last Updated: 18:44 IST(27/6/2010)

Rahul had to take Bill Gates to Bundhelkhand: BJP

BJP state president Surya Pratap Shahi took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for taking Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates to his Parliamantary constituency of Amethi and said he had to rather take the IT Czar to under-developed Bundhelkhand region.

"One of the richest men of the world, Bill Gates, recently visited Amethi. If the Congress leaders were so concerned about the development of the state, Rahul should have taken him to Bundelkhand region, which is backward and host of problems exist there," Shahi said.


He alleged that the agenda of Congress president Sonia Gandhis and Rahul Gandhi was limited to their parliamentary constituencies of Rae Bareli and Amethi.


"They cannot see poverty anywhere else in the state," he said adding the Congress, which ruled the state for 40 years, was responsible for its backwardness.


Bill Gates had visited Amethi on May 11.

(with PTI inputs)

Reply by Kavi Hardayal Kushwaha on May 13, 2010 at 11:48am
Delete India needs manufacturing Jobs, not much hyped Computer Jobs. Royal Gandhi-Nehru family is the REASON why present mess in India continued. No Chinese leader would engage in poverty tour of their country as Rahul doing.

Present messy situation of india is thanks to Royal Dynasty of Gandhi-Nehru who not only misgoverned the country, followed disasterous foreign policy, minority policy and its going to be even worse under the new king.
it can safely be said- IF RAHUL HAS A FUTURE, INDIA HAS NONE.

MR. Rahul Jee Amethee se aage bhee aap kaa india aur meraa bharat hai kabhee hamaare bundelkhand me Bill Gates ko lekar aaye kam se kam hamaare bundelkhand ke kisee chaprasee se aap ko ye sunne ko nahee milegaa ki Bill Gates ko nahee jante muphat me desh kaa paisa amethee me naa vahaaye,jab tak bharat kaa ek bhee bachach bhukaa hai naa ye aap ke sapno kaa bharat hogaa naa hamare sapnokaa bharat hee