Mourners dance to Kajra re…

DABAWALI (SIRSA): Kajra re, kajra re ... a lilting tune wafted through the air as DJ juggled music CDs. But, there was no dancing, no mirth as a deathly silence prevailed among the people gathered. For, it was a funeral procession taken out in Chautala village.
The khaps may have given a fatwa against DJs, but this funeral procession, taken out by members of the Lohar community, went ahead playing Bollywood and Punjabi hits on Monday. They say it is their tradition to conduct funeral of their mukhiya (village chief) with pomp.
The procession had a flower-bedecked car, with a mobile DJ belting out songs as people danced with bottles of alcohol in hand. The body of village mukhiya Tota Ram was covered in flowers and laid on the car.
As the DJ put on a hit Punjabi song — Koi ve gulab aakhda, koi ve sharab aakhda, ke mundke kende ladoo bantne — the people in the funeral procession, of all age groups, broke into cheers and dance. They demanded encore of every Hindi song that was played. Even crackers were burst along the way.
"We are simply following an age-old tradition," said Tota Ram's sons, Jela Ram, Vajira Ram, Gurchand and Vakeel. "We even arranged for cars to bring in relatives and friends to join our father's last journey. We have spent about Rs 1.25 lakh to arrange this. It is a matter of pride for us," they said.

Source : Times of India, June 30,2010