Shimla: The COVID-19 pandemic has proved to be a double whammy for the struggling 'Pahadi' folk singers of Himachal Pradesh, who say it has wreaked havoc on their livelihood by forcing them to sit idle in their homes.
According to reports, the Pahadi singers' work has been heavily affected during the lockdown and they are now forced to explore other fields of employment so that they can sustain and feed their families.
In these times of quarantine and social distancing, all festivals, functions or fetes have been cancelled and say they have been left with no work and majority of them are not tech-savvy to use the social media to reach out to an audience or even raise their voice.
Many of them have also left the field of 'Pahadi folk music' in search of greener pastures.
Meanwhile, famous Pahadi folk music singer, Krishan Verma, has requested the government to look into the matter and provide these singers with platforms to perform so that they can continue to earn a living and look after their families.
Recently, Verma held a press conference to commemorate the success of his song Pink Palazzo and the completion of two crore views of the song on Pahadi Gaana.com.
He said, "The government and administration give millions of rupees to sponsors for organising shows of Bollywood musicians, but it is very difficult for the folk singers to even manage a stage and if they do, they are not paid adequately."
"At present, due to Corona, when all programmes have been cancelled, the condition of the folk singers and other artists associated with it is extremely pathetic. Some artists are compelled to paint houses in order to earn food for their tables. The government should provide a platform to folk singers so that their culture is promoted while artists will also be able to earn their livelihood," he said.
"The government should think about them. Where will they go for help? The current situation and immediate future look gloomy but what can be done? We live in a small village and are not well versed with technology. So I request everyone to listen to my new Pahadi song Pahadi Gaana.com," he added.
