Pakistani society is getting sick: Saif Samejo

Musician urges fans to boycott local media industry

Founder of Lahooti Melo and lead vocalist for The Sketches, Saif Samejo has had his fair share of criticism on both the musical and reformist fronts. He started the Lahooti Melo Project to record and document indigenous musicians from all over Sindh, which put some of those folk musicians on the world map via Coke Studio. 

The project later took the shape of a movement that highlighted discrimination against the much-neglected Dravidian tribes of the region.The musician-cum-activist has now lashed out at the media and asked his followers to unsubscribe from all the channels they read and listen to. 

Samejo started off by recalling the time he boycotted a particular award show after it refused to respond to criticism and accusations of three women from the entertainment fraternity.“I never care for awards or any attention from the Pakistani media. I’m not from their world at all. I was nominated in four categories and boycotted the awards because three women boycotted and the organisers didn’t value their act.So, to add my words to their voices, I took action. I’ve a different fight,” he said.

I never care for awards or any attention from Pakistani media. I’m not from their world at all, I was nominated in 4 categories & boycotted #LuxStyleAwards because 3women boycotted & Lux didn’t value their act & to add my words to their voice I took action. I’ve a different fight

— Saif Samejo (@SaifSamejo) August 26, 2020

The singer went on to explain how, through music and art, he aims to reform the system whereby all regional languages would be national languages. “Enough of this one language rule, enough of lobbies, racism and nepotism. It’s not in art but every walk of life. Pakistani society is getting sick,” he wrote without restraint.

Addressing the ongoing security and law enforcement issues within the country, Samejo expressed how the “missing people, helpless courts and circus in politics” is controlled through the media. “Do you really think you are respected by the system in this country as an individual unless you don’t become soulless and chant their bogus slogans?” he asked. “Pakistan has no film or music industry and whatever we have is toxic, controlled.”