A song for Jains or a song for India : contesting narratives during the COVID-19 crisis

De Jonckheere, Heleen

Abstract

This article studies the interaction of religiosity and national sentiment on the popular level of Jainism in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. It does so through a case study of a Jain popular song, which was created as a response to the everyday impact of the COVID-19 virus in India. The article will analyse the song's YouTube video, its lyrics, reception and social media adaptation, to illustrate how the Jain religious interpretation of a health crisis intersects with national discourse. It will also illuminate how such popularising interpretation, through its afterlife, was co-opted within a narrative of national culture.

Citation

De Jonckheere, H. (2021). A song for Jains or a song for India : contesting narratives during the COVID-19 crisis. Contemporary South Asia, 29(4), 579-587. https://doi.org/10.1080/09584935.2021.1995327

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 1, 2021
• Publication Date: Oct 31, 2021
• Deposit Date: Mar 4, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 1, 2121
• Journal: Contemporary South Asia
• Print ISSN: 0958-4935
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-364X
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 29
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 579-587
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09584935.2021.1995327
• Keywords: crisis, digital media, Indian nation, Jainism, popular religion, social media
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09584935.2021.1995327