<p>There is a controversy brewing around the popular Tamil song 'Enjoy Enjaami'. The song which was released in 2021 has amassed so far over 4 million views on Youtube and counting. It has the vocals of singer Dhee and rap by Arivarasu Kalainesan who has also written the song. The two even appear in the music video together. Enjoy Emjaami has been produced by composer Santosh Narayanan and backed by AR Rahman's music label Maajja. Despite being a hit number that has managed to transcend borders, the song has found its place in the centre of a controversy.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
At the opening ceremony of the 44th Chess Olympiad a few days ago, singer Dhee performed 'Enjoy Enjaami' live, but Arivu was not invited to be a part of the performance.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
While Dhee's performance at the inaugural ceremony was lauded by one and all, there were many who noticed Arivu's absence and took to social media to point it out. Later, Arivu himself took to his Instagram account and expressed his disappointment at not being included and alleged caste-based politics as the reason for him being excluded.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Sharing a still of him from the song on his Instagram account on Monday, the rapper wrote, “I 'composed', 'written', 'sung' &amp; 'performed' Enjoy Enjaami. Nobody gave me a Tune, Melody or Single word to write this one. Spent almost 6 months of sleepless and stressful nights and days for everything it is right now. No doubt it’s great teamwork. No doubt it calls everyone together. But it doesn’t mean that’s not the history of Valliammal or the landless Tea plantation slave ancestors of mine. Every song of mine will be having the scar mark of this generational oppression."<br />
"Like this Just one...There are 10000 songs of folk in this land. The songs carry the breath of ancestors, their pain, their life, love, their Resistance, and all about their existence. It’s all speaking to you in beautiful songs. Because we are a generation of blood and sweat turned into melodies of liberating arts. We carry the legacy through songs. Anyone can snatch away your treasure when You’re asleep. Never when you are awake. Jai Bhim. The truth will always win in the end (sic).”</p>

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<p>Soon after Arivu shared the powerful message on Instagram, his fans flooded the comment box with messages of solidarity. A fan wrote: “It is super obvious to all of us that 'Enjoy Enjaami' is your song Arivu! I am glad you spoke up - after all this time. With you. Jai Bhim. Also! There isn't a lyricist who can outwrite you or a rapper who could outrap you. Rise in power my man!.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>Another commented, “I was wondering the same when I saw the FIDE Chess Olympiad 2022 Inaugural performance without Arivu! (sic).”</p>

<p>Watch the 'Enjoy Enjaami' song here:&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eYq7WapuDLU" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>Interestingly, when the music video of 'Enjoy Enjaami' was released by the Maaja channel on YouTube singer Dhee was named as the principal artiste, and Arivu’s name was only there as a collaborator. The song's title reads “Dhee ft. Arivu - Enjoy Enjaami (Prod. Santhosh Narayanan).”&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


There is a controversy brewing around the popular Tamil song 'Enjoy Enjaami'. The song which was released in 2021 has amassed so far over 4 million views on Youtube and counting.

There is a controversy brewing around the popular Tamil song 'Enjoy Enjaami'. The song which was released in 2021 has amassed so far over 4 million views on Youtube and counting. It has the vocals of singer Dhee and rap by Arivarasu Kalainesan who has also written the song. The two even appear in the music video together. Enjoy Emjaami has been produced by composer Santosh Narayanan and backed by AR Rahman's music label Maajja. Despite being a hit number that has managed to transcend borders, the song has found its place in the centre of a controversy. At the opening ceremony of the 44th Chess Olympiad a few days ago, singer Dhee performed 'Enjoy Enjaami' live, but Arivu was not invited to be a part of the performance. While Dhee's performance at the inaugural ceremony was lauded by one and all, there were many who noticed Arivu's absence and took to social media to point it out. Later, Arivu himself took to his Instagram account and expressed his disappointment at not being included and alleged caste-based politics as the reason for him being excluded. Sharing a still of him from the song on his Instagram account on Monday, the rapper wrote, “I 'composed', 'written', 'sung' & 'performed' Enjoy Enjaami. Nobody gave me a Tune, Melody or Single word to write this one. Spent almost 6 months of sleepless and stressful nights and days for everything it is right now. No doubt it’s great teamwork. No doubt it calls everyone together. But it doesn’t mean that’s not the history of Valliammal or the landless Tea plantation slave ancestors of mine. Every song of mine will be having the scar mark of this generational oppression." "Like this Just one...There are 10000 songs of folk in this land. The songs carry the breath of ancestors, their pain, their life, love, their Resistance, and all about their existence. It’s all speaking to you in beautiful songs. Because we are a generation of blood and sweat turned into melodies of liberating arts. We carry the legacy through songs. Anyone can snatch away your treasure when You’re asleep. Never when you are awake. Jai Bhim. The truth will always win in the end (sic).” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Arivu (@therukural) × Soon after Arivu shared the powerful message on Instagram, his fans flooded the comment box with messages of solidarity. A fan wrote: “It is super obvious to all of us that 'Enjoy Enjaami' is your song Arivu! I am glad you spoke up - after all this time. With you. Jai Bhim. Also! There isn't a lyricist who can outwrite you or a rapper who could outrap you. Rise in power my man!.” Another commented, “I was wondering the same when I saw the FIDE Chess Olympiad 2022 Inaugural performance without Arivu! (sic).” Watch the 'Enjoy Enjaami' song here: Interestingly, when the music video of 'Enjoy Enjaami' was released by the Maaja channel on YouTube singer Dhee was named as the principal artiste, and Arivu’s name was only there as a collaborator. The song's title reads “Dhee ft. Arivu - Enjoy Enjaami (Prod. Santhosh Narayanan).”

'Enjoy Enjaami' rapper Arivu talks of oppression after he is not invited to perform the hit song

<p style="text-align: justify;"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">Comic&nbsp;books speak directly to<font color="#ff0000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4"> </font></font></font>our imagination and no matter our age, where we live or where we are from, they have the uncanny&nbsp;ability to cross cultural barriers, break boundaries and challenge taboos. They touch the child in us and feed&nbsp;our fantasies. Dhee, Bangladesh&#39;s&nbsp;first lesbian comic book&nbsp;character, manages to do precisely that -- and&nbsp;in a conservative,&nbsp;Muslim-majority country.</font></font></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">She is the protagonist of a comic strip launched last September by Boys of Bangladesh (BoB), a non-governmental organisation that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights. Dhee is a young Bangladeshi woman in her twenties who discovers she is attracted to other women. She is not a superhero. She does not have super powers. Nor does she have super weapons. She is just the (Muslim) girl next door, living with her family&nbsp;in the suburbs. </font></font></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">Curly-haired, bespectacled, average-looking, Bengali-speaking and dressed in traditional clothes, Dhee could be any of the young women out on the streets of Dhaka.</font></font></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">Dhee has a momentous challenge though: understanding her desires, accepting her sexuality and finding a way to tell a conservative society that she is lesbian. Her message is simple:&nbsp;there is nothing wrong with her. Nothing perverse or dangerous. She just loves other women and she wants to be free to do so.</font></font><br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/flash-card-dhee-7-20160823053702.jpg" /></p>

<div class="media-description">
<p style="text-align: justify;">A strip from Dhee.</p>
</div>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">The appearance of a lesbian comic character, the first of its kind in Bangladesh, received huge attention from the international media. Her story develops through ten simple strips with clear and colourful lines in&nbsp;cartoon style. She uses the language of kids to reach adults.</font></font><br />
<br />
&ldquo;<font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">We tried to keep everything as simple as possible, in order to make it understandable to everyone,&rdquo; says Rajeeb, a BoB activist </font></font><font color="#222222"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">who did not want his full name revealed due to security concerns. </font></font></font><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">&ldquo;We wanted people to relate to homosexuality in Bangladesh. I would not define our society as entirely conservative. You know it depends. It is extremely conservative when it comes to the private sphere of life, particularly when you talk about sex and sexuality,&rdquo;&nbsp;he adds. And this is exactly what Dhee needs to overcome.</font></font><br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/head-20160823054202.jpg" /></p>

<div class="media-description">
<p style="text-align: justify;">Dhee asks herself what could she do .</p>
</div>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">The picture above deserves a translation. The headline reads:&nbsp;&quot;Standing at this point of life I could not understand which turn my future will take. Can you tell me what should I do?&quot;<br />
<br />
From the top left image,&nbsp;moving clockwise, Dhee thinks&nbsp;about the options she has: &quot;Marrying a guy after giving up my real identity?&nbsp;Going abroad with the hope of a new life?&nbsp;Committing suicide with all the pain and silence in my heart?&quot;<br />
<br />
And, fortunately,&nbsp;she finds a good answer: &quot;I should accept myself and work for people who cannot speak freely about their identity.&quot;</font></font><br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">Sometimes, the children in us create&nbsp;a lot of noise and they get wrong people to listen to. Dhee caused such a ruckus, she attracted the attention of some Bangladeshi newspapers which incited violence. Banglagazette.com called for prompt government intervention and stated, &ldquo;Bangladesh has taken yet another step towards aping the West&rdquo;.</font></font><br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/banglagazette-20160823052910.jpg" /></p>

<div class="media-description">
<p style="text-align: justify;">Bangladeshi website BanglaGazette attacking Dhee.</p>
</div>

<p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">The hardline Islamist political party, Khilafat Andolan, told dailysanghram.com that &ldquo;homosexuals are enemies of civilisation and enemies of Islam.&rdquo;</font></font><br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/dailysanghram-20160823053218.jpg" /></p>

<div class="media-description">
<p style="text-align: justify;">Bangladeshi website Dailysanghram attacking Dhee.</p>
</div>

<p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">But comic writers are a defiant species. &ldquo;I think that some of our scholars need to catch up with the times. Nowadays there are eminent views proposing a more tolerant and inclusive interpretation of Islam. Moreover, this conservative and strict version of Islam is actually imported. Islam does not openly condemn homosexuality,&rdquo; says Rajeeb.</font></font></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">Comic books may be fun to glance across but often convey powerful messages. This is exactly what makes Dhee such a strong instrument of communication and a disruptor for many. Comic book characters live in a kind of no man&rsquo;s land halfway between drawings and books, between seriousness and joke, between the worlds of kids and adults. Often considered too childish to be a real menace, they enjoy a fairly free space and are able to speak their mind with fearlessness. No surprise that they have been historically used both for satire and propaganda.</font></font></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">A few years back, the people&rsquo;s love for comic books brought the first Comic Con to Bangladesh. Comic Con is the international festival for fans and producers of comic books. Ever since, it has been an annual affair.</font></font></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">Yousuf Abu Syed, one of the founders of the Dhaka Comic Con, is an excited man. He says, &ldquo;We thought that a maximum of 500 people would come and we were astonished when thousands of participants, some of them even dressed as popular superheroes, turned up. We keep doing it every year and it is growing bigger.&rdquo; </font></font></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">Bangladesh has its own indigenous comic book characters. &ldquo;Comic Con came into being when the comic books industry in Bangladesh was going through a tough time. But now, we do have quality Bangladeshi comics for an affordable price, often for less than two US dollars. But this is a new thing, many of us have obviously grown up following the usual superheroes. When I was a kid, Bengali comics came only in black and white,&rdquo; quips Syed.</font></font></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">At the Comic Con fans come in droves, often dressed as their favourite comic book character, they lollygag and meet other superheroes, take some selfies and, then, get back to reality. Comic Con becomes a meeting point for comic book fans and the industry. Publishers and young illustrators showcase their works. Stalls do brisk business.</font></font></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;<font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">For me, it&rsquo;s like reliving my childhood,&rdquo; says a euphoric</font></font><font color="#ff0000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4"> </font></font></font><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">young</font></font></font><font color="#ff0000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4"> </font></font></font><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">woman dressed as Pikachu, one of the stars of the Pok?mon cartoon series. Most participants are in their twenties and many of them are students.</font></font></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">But Dhee is actually a breed apart from the fun-and-frolic safe comic characters who crowd the Comic Con. Her presence disturbs that pop and emotionally safe atmosphere. And Dhee&rsquo;s creators, Boys of Bangladesh (BoB), are only too aware of this. But they want to press on. </font></font></p>

<div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div>

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<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
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<h5 style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;We are definitely keen to move forward with our project but it&rsquo;s not easy. We are travelling around the country to promote these comic strips and the messages they carry but we are totally unfunded and that is a major issue&rdquo;</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote" style="text-align: justify;"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=?We are definitely keen to move forward with our project but it?s not easy. We are travelling around the country to promote these comic strips and the messages they carry but we are totally unfunded and that is a major issue,? says Rajeeb from BoB." target="_blank"><i class="fa fa-share">&nbsp;</i></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="4">One wonders what would happen if Dhee had the chance to walk around the stalls of Comic Con, exactly as other characters, meeting people and telling them her story. After all, they live in the same artistic world and speak the same language. But they just haven&rsquo;t met yet. </font></font></p>


Being homosexual in Bangladesh is not easy. No one knows that better than Dhee. In her early twenties, she likes girls. And while that is problematic, she goes out to seek her place in a conservative society that is fiercely critical and, often, threatening

Comic books speak directly to our imagination and no matter our age, where we live or where we are from, they have the uncanny ability to cross cultural barriers, break boundaries and challenge taboos. They touch the child in us and feed our fantasies. Dhee, Bangladesh's first lesbian comic book character, manages to do precisely that -- and in a conservative, Muslim-majority country. She is the protagonist of a comic strip launched last September by Boys of Bangladesh (BoB), a non-governmental organisation that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights. Dhee is a young Bangladeshi woman in her twenties who discovers she is attracted to other women. She is not a superhero. She does not have super powers. Nor does she have super weapons. She is just the (Muslim) girl next door, living with her family in the suburbs. Curly-haired, bespectacled, average-looking, Bengali-speaking and dressed in traditional clothes, Dhee could be any of the young women out on the streets of Dhaka. Dhee has a momentous challenge though: understanding her desires, accepting her sexuality and finding a way to tell a conservative society that she is lesbian. Her message is simple: there is nothing wrong with her. Nothing perverse or dangerous. She just loves other women and she wants to be free to do so. A strip from Dhee. The appearance of a lesbian comic character, the first of its kind in Bangladesh, received huge attention from the international media. Her story develops through ten simple strips with clear and colourful lines in cartoon style. She uses the language of kids to reach adults. “We tried to keep everything as simple as possible, in order to make it understandable to everyone,” says Rajeeb, a BoB activist who did not want his full name revealed due to security concerns. “We wanted people to relate to homosexuality in Bangladesh. I would not define our society as entirely conservative. You know it depends. It is extremely conservative when it comes to the private sphere of life, particularly when you talk about sex and sexuality,” he adds. And this is exactly what Dhee needs to overcome. Dhee asks herself what could she do . The picture above deserves a translation. The headline reads: "Standing at this point of life I could not understand which turn my future will take. Can you tell me what should I do?" From the top left image, moving clockwise, Dhee thinks about the options she has: "Marrying a guy after giving up my real identity? Going abroad with the hope of a new life? Committing suicide with all the pain and silence in my heart?" And, fortunately, she finds a good answer: "I should accept myself and work for people who cannot speak freely about their identity." Sometimes, the children in us create a lot of noise and they get wrong people to listen to. Dhee caused such a ruckus, she attracted the attention of some Bangladeshi newspapers which incited violence. Banglagazette.com called for prompt government intervention and stated, “Bangladesh has taken yet another step towards aping the West”. Bangladeshi website BanglaGazette attacking Dhee. The hardline Islamist political party, Khilafat Andolan, told dailysanghram.com that “homosexuals are enemies of civilisation and enemies of Islam.” Bangladeshi website Dailysanghram attacking Dhee. But comic writers are a defiant species. “I think that some of our scholars need to catch up with the times. Nowadays there are eminent views proposing a more tolerant and inclusive interpretation of Islam. Moreover, this conservative and strict version of Islam is actually imported. Islam does not openly condemn homosexuality,” says Rajeeb. Comic books may be fun to glance across but often convey powerful messages. This is exactly what makes Dhee such a strong instrument of communication and a disruptor for many. Comic book characters live in a kind of no man’s land halfway between drawings and books, between seriousness and joke, between the worlds of kids and adults. Often considered too childish to be a real menace, they enjoy a fairly free space and are able to speak their mind with fearlessness. No surprise that they have been historically used both for satire and propaganda. A few years back, the people’s love for comic books brought the first Comic Con to Bangladesh. Comic Con is the international festival for fans and producers of comic books. Ever since, it has been an annual affair. Yousuf Abu Syed, one of the founders of the Dhaka Comic Con, is an excited man. He says, “We thought that a maximum of 500 people would come and we were astonished when thousands of participants, some of them even dressed as popular superheroes, turned up. We keep doing it every year and it is growing bigger.” Bangladesh has its own indigenous comic book characters. “Comic Con came into being when the comic books industry in Bangladesh was going through a tough time. But now, we do have quality Bangladeshi comics for an affordable price, often for less than two US dollars. But this is a new thing, many of us have obviously grown up following the usual superheroes. When I was a kid, Bengali comics came only in black and white,” quips Syed. At the Comic Con fans come in droves, often dressed as their favourite comic book character, they lollygag and meet other superheroes, take some selfies and, then, get back to reality. Comic Con becomes a meeting point for comic book fans and the industry. Publishers and young illustrators showcase their works. Stalls do brisk business. “For me, it’s like reliving my childhood,” says a euphoric young woman dressed as Pikachu, one of the stars of the Pok?mon cartoon series. Most participants are in their twenties and many of them are students. But Dhee is actually a breed apart from the fun-and-frolic safe comic characters who crowd the Comic Con. Her presence disturbs that pop and emotionally safe atmosphere. And Dhee’s creators, Boys of Bangladesh (BoB), are only too aware of this. But they want to press on. “We are definitely keen to move forward with our project but it’s not easy. We are travelling around the country to promote these comic strips and the messages they carry but we are totally unfunded and that is a major issue” One wonders what would happen if Dhee had the chance to walk around the stalls of Comic Con, exactly as other characters, meeting people and telling them her story. After all, they live in the same artistic world and speak the same language. But they just haven’t met yet.

The hard life of Dhee: Bangladesh's first lesbian comic book character

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