Sarah Kushairi is a clinical pharmacist and lecturer from Malaysia who never quite shook off her childhood dream of becoming a writer. Armed with a Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) from International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and an MSc in Clinical Pharmacy from University College London (UCL), she splits her time between the world of pharmaceuticals and storytelling. At twelve, Sarah ambitiously started her first Harry Potter-inspired novel. Two chapters in, she decided to “come back to it later”—she never did. But her love for writing found other outlets. Her health and beauty articles have appeared in Malaysian newspapers, and she’s shared her expertise on TV and radio. Her personal piece “Tudung Mana?” was featured in the anthology Hijab: Everyday Stories of Muslim Women from Singapore and Beyond (Helang Books, 2023). When Master’s coursework at UCL became overwhelming, Sarah turned stress into creativity, self-publishing her first travelogue Snippets of Travels: Musings and...
Neha Singh Rathore is a talented Indian folk singer renowned for her bold and impactful songs that highlight pressing social and political issues. A resident of the Kaimur district in Bihar, Neha uses her music as a medium to question and satirize critical problems such as inflation, corruption, poverty, and the shortcomings of government policies.
Her songs resonate deeply with the common people, addressing issues that affect their daily lives. Among her most popular tracks are "Bihar Me Ka Ba?" and "UP Me Ka Ba?"(Parts 1 and 2), which gained widespread attention and went viral on social media. These songs are characterized by sharp, witty lyrics and her unique ability to critique societal and political challenges in a conversational yet engaging style.
Neha's work stands out for its courage and authenticity, as she doesn't shy away from holding those in power accountable through her art. Her growing popularity underscores the power of folk music as a tool for social commentary and activism, making her a prominent voice in contemporary Indian folk music.
1. As we all very well know that after releasing of your song "UP MA KA BA Season 2" you received a legal notice from UP police. So my first question is that what is your first thought when you got to know that because of a satirical song a legal action taken against you ?
Neha Singh Rathore : When I came to know about the notice, I first thought that someone was joking, then when I saw the notice, I was speechless. There is no guarantee that any government can give notice even for singing a song.
2. During our research we found out your recent interview with a Hindi news channel in which it was very clearly visible that the anchor whose work is to questioning the government behaving like he/she is government's spoke person. So my next question is on this only that where do you see Indian TV news channel after 5 years ? And what do you think about it ?
Neha Singh Rathore : Nothing is clear with any certainty about what will happen after the next few years. But the way a large part of the media has left its real work and is engaged in pleasing the authorities, either things will improve radically, or they will remain same.
3. There was time when Bhojpuri was seen as pride language but now still it was pride language some people consider it as funny language or they feel ashamed when they speak it. What do you think what is the main reason behind it and how we can bring back that pride again in this beautiful language?
Neha Singh Rathore : There is no doubt that Bhojpuri is a sweet and clean language, but the way the image of this beautiful language has been distorted is sad. One of the major reasons for this is that concern is being raised about jobs and marketism in Bhojpuri speaking areas. Soon the craving for fame and the urge to make money broke things. The social condition of giving importance to personal interest more than the interest of the society is promoted. The lost respect of Bhojpuri can definitely be regained, people who have to be serious about the respect of their language.
4. There are many children in Bihar and UP who want to become singers and want to sing for Bollywood and Hollywood but very few want to work for Bhojpuri music industry. So according to you what is the reason behind this and how can we deal with it?
Neha Singh Rathore : It is a matter of personal interest if new singers want to work for Bollywood leaving Bhojpuri or folk sky.
5. What is your opinion on increasing of depression and suicidal rate among teenagers. And who is responsible and how can we tackle it ?
Neha Singh Rathore : Moving deeper, a major reason for depression is the pressure of liberalism and marketize, poor guidance, lack of resources, own excess, fear of non-fulfillment. There is a disaster of joint family etc.
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