Fact Check: The viral claim that Mohammad Rafi's song 'Kashmir Hai Bharat Ka, Kashmir Na Denge' is banned is misleading

New Delhi (Vishvas News) A video of Mohammad Rafi's song 'Kashmir hai Bharat ka, Kashmir na denge' is going viral on social media. Some users claim the song was released during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War and was banned due to its controversial lyrics. The post suggests that Pakistan had objections to the song, which prompted the Indian government to ban this song.

Vishvas News investigated the claim and found it to be misleading. This song was not banned, however the censor board changed the lyrics but the song was never banned.

What goes viral?

Facebook user “V Kumar” (archive link) shared the viral video on October 20, 2024 with the caption: “This song sung by Mohammad Rafi Sahab had created unease in Pakistan. The Pakistani government pressured the Indian government to ban the song. Surprisingly, the then Congress government agreed and banned it!!! You've probably never heard this song before. Listen carefully to this rare song.”

Investigation

To verify the authenticity of the claim, we conducted a Google search using relevant keywords. We found the viral video on a YouTube channel named 'NH Hindi Song', uploaded on August 14, 2020. According to the available information, this song was used in the film 'Jauhar in Kashmir' released in 1966. The story of the film revolves around Kashmir in the late 1940s, after the partition of India.

During our investigation, we found that this song was uploaded to several other YouTube channels. We also discovered this song uploaded on Mohammed Rafi Official YouTube channel on August 5, 2019.

To further our investigation, we conducted a Google search using relevant keywords regarding the alleged ban on this song and discovered a notice on the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting website. According to the document, the censor board had requested that the word 'Haji Peer' be removed from this song before the film's release in 1966. After this change, the authority approved the song's release. Nowhere in the notice did it mention that the song was banned.

The lyrics of this song are also available on several other websites. The lyrics of this song can be seen on Gaana.com and Saregama.

For more information, we reached out to Smita Srivastava, entertainment journalist at Dainik Jagran, Mumbai, who confirmed that the claim was misleading. This post also went viral earlier and Vishvas News investigation brought out the truth. At that time, senior entertainment journalist S. Ramachandran confirmed that although the lyrics of this song were changed, the song was never banned.

According to the information available on the Indian government website, India was under Congress rule in 1966 with Indira Gandhi serving as the Prime Minister.

Finally, we scanned the profile of the user who shared the video with the misleading claim. We noticed that the user shares posts related to a particular ideology and identifies himself as a Delhi resident in his profile.

Vishvas News has investigated and found that the claim regarding the ban on Mohammad Rafi's song 'Kashmir Hai Bharat Ka, Kashmir Na Denge' is misleading. Although the censorship board changed the lyrics, the song was never banned.

• Claim verification: Pakistan pressured India to ban Mohammad Rafi's song and the Congress government complied with this request.
• Claimed by: Facebook user V Kumar
• Fact check: INCORRECT

INCORRECT

Symbols that define the nature of fake news

Know the truth! If you have any doubts about any information or rumor, please let us know!

It is your right to know the truth. If you think any information is dubious and may have an impact on the society or nation, send it to us through any of the sources mentioned below.

Contribute to Vishwas News

Fact-checking journalism that reflects power while being free from the shackles of corporations and politics is only possible with the support of the public. Help us in the fight against fake news.

Tags