I chose to introspect and examine the beliefs and privileges I hold as a British Sikh Jatt woman. It was written from a space of vulnerability and my own shame. Within an hour I had written an open letter to the above parties and posted it on my Instagram.
So what narratives ran through their mind when writing this song? What words did they feel were best to describe their experience of being born into upper caste families? What did they want to portray to the world about being born Jatt? I’m always intrigued by narratives and the language that people use to describe their life experiences. In plenty of popular culture, music and movies, the word “Jatt” is thrown around with no thought of the impact it would have on people who don’t identify with the caste. Punjabi Sikh families may consider Jatts and Tharkhans as the upper castes, while all others are considered lower castes and Dalits. Although this definition applies to Hindus, the caste system is also found in families who follow Sikhism and Islam. In Sarah Sahim’s essay in The Good Immigrant, caste is described as “an ancient and complex social stratification system with Dalits (Marathi for “oppressed”) at the very bottom and Brahmins – the spiritual and scholarly class – at the top”.
The video also shows white women (“goriyas”) chasing after them, because they are Jatt. I was incredulous as to what the intentions were. It was made in collaboration with an alcohol brand called Jatt Life Global, and the depiction of drinking itself is harmful, given excess alcohol consumption and domestic violence are known problems within our community.
The video appears to cater to those who live the upper caste Jatt “high life”, driving Lamborghinis and drinking alcohol. When I first heard the song, I sat in shock for a full few minutes, trying to process its content. Earlier this month, a music video called ‘ Global Jatt’ was released by Bhangra artists Bups Saggu, Jatt Life and DJ Kam Kang.
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