Singer Arijit Singh, who is currently on tour in the UK, recently responded to a fan who asked him to sing the protest song, R Kobe, which he wrote for RG Kar, a rape and murder victim from Kolkata. An account on Instagram, Rahul__roy983, posted a video of one of Arijit’s recent shows. (Also Read | Arijit Singh’s ‘perfect’ collaboration with Ed Sheeran at London concert was not on your 2024 bingo card. Watch)
Arijit stopped the show and replied to the fan
In the video, Arijit sang the song Ramta Jogi from Taal when he got the request. He then paused his song and replied, “This is not the place, people have not come here to protest. Yes? They have come here to listen to me. This is my job, isn’t it? This is my heart, this is what you are saying. Not the right time, not the right place.”
He further added, “If you really want it, go. Go to Kolkata. Yes. Gather some people, there are a lot of Bengalis here. Go on the street. Yes? That song has not been monetised. It will never be monetised. It is not copyrighted. Anyone can use it.” Arijit started singing again and then stopped and told the fan, “That song has not been monetised. It will never be monetised… Anyone can use it.” The caption on the video reads, “Arijit Singh gets upset when a fan requests him to play R Kobe, the protest song he created after the Kolkata incidents.”
Arijit has several concerts lined up in the UK.
Arijit had released R Kobe last year
The singer released Aar Kobe on his official YouTube channel on August 28. Apart from singing the song, Arijit is also credited as the lyricist and composer. According to the official description, the song is dedicated to the victim as well as “all women who face the horrors of gender-based violence.”
“This song is a cry for justice, a lament for the countless women who suffer in silence, and a demand for change… Our song echoes the voices of doctors across the country, who serve tirelessly despite the dangers they face. This is not just a protest song – it is a call to action. It is a reminder that our fight for women’s safety and dignity is far from over. When we sing, we remember the tireless efforts of those on the front lines – our doctors, our journalists and our students who deserve not just our respect but our safety,” it reads.
On August 9, a postgraduate trainee female doctor was raped and murdered in a seminar hall of Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, following which a civic volunteer of the Kolkata Police was arrested.
