Joining the #MeToo fight is Sukhnidh Kaur, whose song dedicated to M.J. Akbar is a one-minute masterclass in consent
Sukhnidh Kaur
You've had your DMs open for people to share their #MeToo stories. What got you started to write the song?
The stories are painful and infuriating. They not only cover sexual harassment, but also powerful men retaliating to the threat of truth with baseless legal action and intimidation. I've been trying to do good to these women and men by allowing a space for catharsis, justice, healing, and closure, as have the incredible women who are leading the movement.
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I have a young social media following and I want them to understand what my generation wasn't taught. Topics like consent, sexual harassment, and the power of 'no' were hush-hush when I was a young teenager. #MeToo made it clear that we cannot afford such silence in our own homes anymore. We, as a community, have the responsibility to change things collectively. I wanted to do my bit, and this was it.
Tell us about the songwriting process.
I composed and recorded it in 10 minutes. Not many know this, but I was anxious, traumatised, and exhausted after having read through #MeToo stories and volunteered for the movement for 10 days. I needed to heal, and the healing came naturally through music. It wasn't a matter of wondering what to write. It was a matter of letting out my frustration in a productive manner, and that didn't take much time.
What were some of the responses you received after you posted the video?
I didn't expect anyone to pay much attention to the video, but I think it went viral. If I had known, I would have brushed my hair and changed out of my jammies. My favourite responses have been parents telling me that they're making their children listen to it, people using it in class presentations, and more men than I can count messaging me to let me know that they truly learnt something. I have always been passionate about education as a tool to tackle ignorance.
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