Nora Fatehi song Sarke Chunar 'violation of human rights', says Human Rights Commission; wants action against censors

THe row o'er KD: The demon vocal Sarke Chunar is refusing to die out land. After social media users complained about the song's ‘vulgar’ lyrics and choreography, complaints have been filed with the Censor Board. Now the National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Central Board of Film Certification, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and Google India over the song's “vulgar, sexually suggestive, and double-meaning lyrics”.NHRC calls Sarke Chunar a violation of human rightsThe NHRC issued notices to the relevant bodies on Tuesday, directing them to inquire into the matter and submit an Action Taken Report within two weeks. The NHRC bench, presided over by member Priyank Kanoongo, observed that the allegations prima facie indicate a potential violation of human rights and took cognisance under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.“The complainant alleged that a recently released song from the upcoming film KD: The Devil contains vulgar, sexually suggestive, and double-meaning lyrics that are inappropriate for public consumption, especially for children. It is stated that such content is widely accessible through television, social media, and public platforms, which may negatively impact the mental well-being and moral environment of minors. The complainant further alleged that the increasing trend of explicit lyrical content in mainstream entertainment contributes to the normalisation of inappropriate expressions among young audiences. Therefore, the complainant sought the intervention of the Commission in the matter and requested it to take cognisance, seek a report from the concerned certification authority, and issue necessary guidelines and advisories to regulate such content and safeguard children's rights,” reads the letter.The allegations in the complaint prima facie appear to constitute violations of the victim's human rights. Priyank Kanoongo, Member of the National Human Rights Commission, added that the song needs to be removed from all platforms, and also demanded to know how the CBFC cleared it in the first place.“We have issued a notice to the Ministry of Information Broadcasting, Censor Board and Ministry of IT that this should be removed, and how the Censor Board can allow this release. If there are any guilty officials of the Censor Board who are involved in all this, then action should be taken against them too,” he added.The row around Sarke ChunarMeanwhile, the State Commissions for Women in Haryana and Karnataka have also written to the Central Board of Film Certification, expressing concern over the approval of allegedly objectionable content in the song. An FIR has been filed against the makers. Amid all this, Anand Audio, KD's music partner, has pulled the song down from YouTube and social media. The song's Hindi lyricist Raqib Alam has distanced himself from the row, saying he merely translated the lyrics from the original Kannada, and even registered his objections to the words.Sarke Chunrar is a dance number featuring Nora Fatehi and Sanjay Dutt. It is part of the upcoming pan-India Kannada film KD: The Devil. The track was recently released on Monday and quickly drew attention on social media. The film is slated to release next month.