Not long after the Trans Rights Bill was passed by both houses of the Indian Parliament, which instigated discussions and protests from the queer community and human rights organisations for removing the right to self-identify, the community has been let down once again, now by Indian Pop.
Artist Dilijith Dosanjh is facing significant backlash from the queer community over his song ‘Aroma’, featuring lyricist Raj Ranjodh and music producer Tru-skool, a popular and controversial track from his album ‘Call of Panjab', released on April 23.
The song, while attempting to celebrate traditional notions of masculinity, insults the trans community by using the term ‘Chakke’, a slur used against transgender individuals. This particular term has a lot of meanings in various Indian languages, but evolved as an insult through the societal mindset against people who didn’t conform to the binary gender norm.
On the first day of Pride month, June 1st, many from the queer community called out the Dilijith song for this demeaning usage and also admitted that they were long unaware of the meaning; it was only very recently that they translated the song.
Actor and dancer Manish Poonam posted an Instagram story saying, “Courage and men don’t go along with each other. Hoping this move would make you more of a man. Shame”.
Another content creator, Faith Michael, while expressing their disappointment through their Instagram reel, said, “The Chakkas were not just your listeners, we were also your biggest fans who were supporting you”. Critics argue that the song is also celebrating the toxic and outdated ideas of masculinity.
The issue is getting a lot of attention on social media platforms, and the artist hasn’t released an explanation yet.
