How Mumbai’s slum champion raps her way out of patriarchy and poverty

Amid the ongoing burqa ban in NG Acharya and DK Marathe College Chembur ndash Mumbaikar Saniya Kaiyumuddin Mistri Saniya MQ has found her catharsis in music Hailing from Govandi the daughter of an auto driver Saniya stands resolved to wear her hijab regardless of the need for acceptanceIn an interaction with Midday the 18yearold rapper says ldquoItrsquos not a hijab ban but a ban on culture The authorities have not only banned the burqa but every symbol that depicts religious sentiments or culture In a WhatsApp circular we have been asked to refrain from wearing rudraksh teeka cross kada or anything that signifies faithrdquoSuch bans have happened earlier also in the same institute in 2023 informs Saniya However due to massive resistance from students ndash the college had to roll back the ban Yet the girls are at the crossroads again as they face a threat to their identityAlso Read Mumbai Burqa ban back in Chembur collegeParallelly India is not unfamiliar with hijab bans having faced similar controversies in various regions including the significant case in Karnataka 2022 where the High Court upheld hijab bans by educational institutes These incidents highlight ongoing tensions between religious expression and institutional regulations Moreover they wield a limitation on freedom of expression and the freedom to practice ones faithAs students are thrown into a frenzy over the shifting uniform policies Saniya has chosen to withdraw from college and focus solely on her music career This isnt my battle ndash I have a dream I need to stay true toWhile she dons a hijab ndash she also stands clear not to mingle her faith with her music ldquoThe music I make caters to listeners from diverse faiths Hence I have a higher responsibility to make music void of religious content No community or religion is above any otherrdquo says Saniya in a candid conversation about music making influences challenges and her dreamsSigma male syndromeIn the world of rap objectifying women or using them as props in music videos is a widespread norm However Saniya points out that when women step into the rap scene with compelling lyrics it not only challenges male egos but also attracts unwarranted criticismFurther Saniya calls it lsquothe sigma male syndromersquo that prompts male audiences to ridicule a female rapper ldquoSuch men tend to believe that belittling women boosts their selfworth The harassment continues ndash they continue to spit hate in person and post offensive comments on social media telling women what to wear and how to berdquoAnother fatal combination is when the socalled lsquosigma malersquo turns to the art of rap For them cussing dissing objectifying maligning and using a woman in their rap videos is a matter of flex ndash outlines Saniya ldquoMany rappers adopt this methodology in a bid to imitate rappers from the West It convinces them theyre the big fish in the rapper pondAlso Read In mood for indie music Head to this Andheri gig this weekendRappers often resort to such tropes mistakenly thinking it boosts their coolness quotient However this trend highlights a deeper issue of gender inequality in the industry Saniya however fiercely resists conforming to this norm standing up against undignified portrayal of womenA stereotype she is often subjected to is the consumption of illicit substances In her experience cops often stereotype all musicians as drug users perpetuating unfair assumptions This generalisation overlooks the diversity within the music community and leads to unjust scrutinyIn addition to this she confronts more societal taboos but they have not dampened her spirit to make music and wield the power of penRapping about society women and patriarchyThrough her verses Saniya targets the perils of patriarchy social issues gender inequality poverty and polity Her track lsquonaarirsquo from lsquosheherrsquo EP traces the celebrated birth of a woman culturally referred to as lsquodevirsquo and how upon turning an adolescent ndash loses control over her lifersquos narrative lsquoDonrsquot wear shortsrsquo lsquodo not step outrsquo lsquoDo not speak with boysrsquo lsquoWhatrsquos the need to study after 12th gradersquo and so on ndash as women we have all come across deprecatory remarks that limit our agencyObserving the plight of women in her surroundings Saniya articulates how they still continue to bear the brunt of patriarchy ldquoIn certain sections of Indian society women lack the freedom to work and are kept indoors ndash which is not even the real problemrdquoShe continues ldquoThe real problem is that women are viewed as inferior to men They are expected to live and thrive in the shadow of men Consequently they are stripped of their role in decisionmaking and voicing their opinionsrdquo Commenting on the derogatory remarks faced by working women Saniya recounts that they are viewed with suspicion and their caliber is always in questionAlso Read lsquoYou have to understand what yoursquore hating before jumping the gunrsquo Indiarsquos first transwoman software engineerLiving in a patriarchal society has subjected Saniya to difficult scenarios However the source of the nevergiveup attitude her mother shields her from societal pressure ldquoOne while shooting an elder man from my locality objected and questioned my line of workrdquo Despite the flak her mother politely replied ndash I am aware of what she is doing and we donrsquot need interventionsldquoToday when I come back from the recording studio ndash my head is held high and my focus is razor sharp I donrsquot pay heed to their wordsrdquo articulates SaniyaHer rap lsquoLadkersquo questions the normative gender roles dictated by society ldquoWhy canrsquot boys cry Their emotions are equally valid and we cannot chain them into social constructs defined by ageold stereotypesrdquo Saniya harks back to this track she released on YouTube in 2021In Footpath the song tells the story of people cast aside by society now living on the streets They exist along the routes taken by travelers and commuters What are their dreams Where do they wish to go asks the probing musicianlsquoReality of lockdownrsquo is another musing that encapsulates familial conundrums induced by the pandemic Problems extended upto joblessness food shortage and the fight for survival She concludes how humanity shined through as help poured in from social networksHer tryst with musicSaniyarsquos notebooks from her school days were often filled with rhythmic scribbles on the back pages In sixth grade she enjoyed crafting poetry pushing herself with various compositions and lyrics Two years later with a repertoire of lyrical comebacks Saniya began rapping By 10th grade she pursued rap as her passion aspiring to become a notable rapper In 2021 she started her YouTube channel which has since grown to 142K followersJaanta Hai Kaun her most popular video focusing on the tales of slum dwellers is her prized piece During her fouryear journey she has not only mastered the art of lyrics but also acquired skills in audio and video production With a dream to expand her audience she persistently strives to enhance her abilities as a rapper Also Read How Mumbairsquos slum champion Snehal Kshirsagar uses music to battle societal tobacco abuse