Culturally rich Haryana, situated at the heart of India, stands out owing to its customs. Its rich culture is characterised by hookahs and charpoys and swaying paddy fields. It is one of the wealthiest states in India and is known for its heritage, festivals and vibrant folklore.
However, the state is often a victim of stereotype when it comes to gender. Pick any popular crime show, there would be at least one episode wherein women are suppressed in male-dominated Haryana or a girl killed while in the womb itself.
However, this is not the absolute reality. The state is patriarchal but winds of change can be seen. In a state where women are made to don the ‘ghungat’ or ‘pallu’ in front of men and elders, one could hardly imagine its women trending on social media owing to their public performances. This ‘popularity’, which they did not intend to gain, is a result of their efforts to revive the culture of the state.
It all started one regular evening of September 21, 2018, when Kaushal Devi also know as Papal Sangwan (43) was sitting in her home with a few women from her neighbourhood. “We decided not to go with the routine gossiping but to do something productive. So we started singing our folk songs and made a few videos,” recollects Papal, a class 12 pass out.
“Until then, I was not interested in folk songs or dancing. But after making the videos with neighbourhood women, I asked my son if these could be uploaded on YouTube. My son helped me understand how to use the application and the journey started,” says Papal, a homemaker.
According to Papal, for one full month, she kept shooting videos without focusing on the quality or angles and continued to upload the same. “Even my family was not aware of what I was doing. However, my son watched a few videos and then helped me to shoot much better (quality) ones. He even bought a tripod to shoot them properly,” she adds.
As the women of her village learnt about her using YouTube to revive their culture, several of them joined Papal in her mission. “I was amused to see the enthusiasm in them and was inspired myself!” she beams. More fun lay ahead... According to Papal, soon she started going to a nearby 'vatika' (park) where women gather for their evening walks.
“There I started singing songs with a few of my close friends when a woman called Bimla turned up and started dancing. Her dance attracted many other women and now this has become a routine for us,” shares Papal.
Starting off with only a few women, there are now nearly a hundred of them, who sing their folk songs and dance. What’s more, Papal’s subscribers have crossed a lakh!
However, this hasn’t been a cakewalk for the women's group. “Initially, there were women who questioned us. Then there were those who refused to come on camera as their families did not like it,” Pappal points out.
She adds, “My relatives did indulge in naming and shaming but I turned a deaf ear to them. All that matters to me is the opinion of my husband and he had no objection to my mission. He, in fact, encouraged me to dance...and that has even helped me shed some weight!”
Simple homemaker Papal has now become a household name, even overseas. “Over 250 persons across the world are connected to me via WhatsApp. I get calls from Pakistan, Dubai, Australia, America and other countries, wherever Haryanvi people live,” she claims. Her fans tell her how her efforts have helped them to learn about Haryanvi culture. “Especially, women from Pakistan tell me how they use my recordings during weddings and other occasions,” she informs.
With her videos fetching thousands of likes, the ‘bhajan mandli’ has become a monetised channel as funds come in from YouTube. “There has been a handsome collection so far. But we have not used a single penny yet. We are planning to donate it to a women’s cause soon,” shares Papal.
On Women’s Day, Papal maintains that ‘single day respect’ would not suffice — respect should be a daily thing for women.
