.jpg?rect=0%2C0%2C1920%2C1080&auto=format%2Ccompress&fmt=webp&width=720)
Singer Sona Mohapatra is back in the spotlight, this time for bringing the threats she has been receiving from Madariya Sufi Foundation to the notice of Mumbai police. The Madariya Sufi Foundation has been allegedly threatening her and asking her to remove her latest single “Tori Surat” from her project, Lal Pari Mastani, which they claim might instigate communal tension.
Sona, in a series of tweets, drew Mumbai police’s attention to the threats and requested their intervention. Check out her tweets here:
“The Madariya foundation along with the agreement of the Nizamuddin Dargah have an issue with the description of my Tori Surat music video, “earthy incarnations of the feminine Divine” & with “a sleeveless dress and body exposing dancers”. Basically with everything woman & free. Dear @MumbaiPolice the Madariya Sufi foundation claims to work for Sufism,peace & universal brotherhood in their threatening notice to me. I ask you & #India ,what about the ‘sisterhood’?Why is it that in this day & age the women expected to cover up, not sing or dance in public.”Sona Mohapatra, Singer
In case you are wondering, here’s the song in question.
On a Facebook post, Sona said:
“This foundation claims to work for Sufism,peace & universal brotherhood in their threatening notice to me. I ask you & #India ,what about the ‘sisterhood’? Why is it that in this day & age the women expected to cover up, not sing or dance in public. I want to ask the Madariya Sufi Foundation, Chistiya Sufi Brotherhood & custodians at Nizamuddin Auliya Dargah Sharif these very simple but critical questions- 1) Are men & women equal in your eyes ? 2) Why are women not allowed to sing inside your Dargahs like the men?”
Read the complete post here:
Sona also tweeted about how she didn’t get any real help from the Mumbai police when she got rape and murder threats from Salman Khan fans.
The Mumbai police has however, responded to Sona’s request this time and the singer is now following up the matter legally. She took to Twitter to thank the police for directing her about what to do next:
And not to be cowed down, Sona shared the song again on social media telling trolls, “If this offends you, then please go live in your pre-historic cave.”
Poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar has protested against the threats to the singer.
“In strongest possible words I condemn those regressive and reactionary organisations who are threatening Sona Mahapatra for making a music video of a Amir Khusrau ‘ Geet . These mullas should know that Amir Khusrau belongs to every Indian . He is not your property.”Javed Akhtar
H Vakharia, Sona Mohapatra's lawyer, told news agency ANI that the singer has a censor certificate for the song and that the Censor Board would have vetted it if she had been inappropriate in any way.
Sona has made a video based on a poem by Amir Khusro. Certain people said she has hurt religious sentiments since she isn’t well dressed. Legally she has censor certificate & Board wouldn’t have approved it if she had dressed inappropriately.H Vakharia, Sona Mohapatra’s lawyer
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)