When the Hills Sing Back: Music and Social Critique in Uttarakhand

The hill state of Uttarakhand is a region rich in diverse socio-cultural practices. Yet, much of what happens in the hills rarely makes it to the mainstream. The music of the region is one such example. Musical traditions are an important medium. Beyond mere entertainment, the region’s music has also long served as a medium for cultural expression, social commentary, and collective mobilisation. Taking this tradition forward, young musicians vividly capture the struggles of local communities, particularly the pahadi yuva (hill youth), as well as the persistent social challenges facing the region.

Last year, the hook of Vartamaan, by rapper Uniyal and music producer Soumya Rawat, gained considerable attention on Instagram. Yet, amid its virality, the song’s central message was somewhat overshadowed. Beyond its engaging beats and lyrics, the title itself, meaning “present,” is suggestive. Rather than looking nostalgically at an idealised past, it articulates the ethical and social crises confronting the youth, reflecting both the internal and external struggles presently faced by the people of the region. The song draws attention to the growing concerns surrounding drug and alcohol abuse among Uttarakhand’s youth. Vartmaan’s viral reception, therefore, offers more than an instance of musical popularity; it highlights how contemporary music can bring the region’s social realities into wider public discourse while remaining rooted in its cultural identity.

Although the genre of ‘modern’ music differs from traditional folk practices, folk instruments have not been abandoned. On the contrary, they are becoming part of the modern musical vocabulary through which younger musicians speak to contemporary audiences. The dhol-damau, mashakbeen, hudka, and other familiar instrumental sounds can evoke a sense of cultural familiarity even when embedded within hip-hop, and modern electronic production as tracks like Askot-Arakot, Tu Jaagi Rai, and Namo Narayan show. This fusion of traditional and contemporary sounds shows how cultural traditions are constantly evolving and transforming, allowing younger musicians to reinterpret familiar musical traditions in ways that resonate with contemporary audiences.

This fusion is particularly evident in one of Uttarakhand’s contemporary problems, which is closely tied to questions of belonging. Migration has emptied hundreds of villages and transformed the social landscape of the hill districts. For many young people, leaving their homes is associated with better education, employment, and economic opportunity. However, it can also produce a profound sense of displacement. Music, thus, provides a language for expressing this tension.

realG and Gitesh Gwari’s Peepal, for instance, approaches migration through the metaphor of a Peepal tree and its fallen leaf. The tree represents home: rooted, familiar, but constrained due to limited resources. The leaf represents the young people who left in search of a better life. The metaphor captures a contradiction at the heart of migration: leaving may be necessary, yet distance can sharpen one’s ache for the place left behind. Migration, therefore, becomes not just an economic phenomenon but an emotional and cultural experience.

Other artists, too, engage with prevalent social issues and their consequences for the people of the region. Like Vartmaan, songs like Smack by Tarun Bisht and Slay highlight the growing challenges of drug and substance abuse in Uttarakhand, particularly among young people, and its wider impact on families and the region’s social fabric. These tracks illustrate how an entire generation continues to endure this struggle, often in silence. They serve both as warnings and reflections, bringing attention to a reality that is frequently overlooked yet has profound consequences for the state and its people.

The use of music as a medium for social commentary is not new to Uttarakhand. In 1984, the renowned poet Girish Tiwari ‘Gir Da’ composed songs addressing substance abuse during the Nasha Nahi, Rozgaar Do (Give Employment, Not Drugs) mass movement in the hill districts of what was then Uttar Pradesh. In this context, contemporary songs such as Smack and Vartmaan can be understood as part of a continuing musical tradition of social commentary associated with the Nasha Nahi, Rozgaar Do movement. Although the medium and musical forms have changed, music continues to articulate concerns that remain deeply relevant to the region.

Similarly, growing ecological instability in Uttarakhand has also become a central concern for the state’s emerging musicians. The past decade or so has witnessed a series of devastating disasters across Uttarakhand. Artists like Uniyal, Tarun Bisht, and Saksham Dhyani, among others, use their lyrics to confront these environmental and socio-political realities, giving voice to the silent suffering of the hills. These concerns are deeply rooted in real events. The songs critique ‘over-developmental’ projects perceived as environmentally harmful, highlighting the vulnerability of the already fragile Himalayan landscape.

Through lyrics such as ‘Prabhu ka desh mein prabhu ka naash, Insaani bhes mein aaya pichas’, Uniyal, in Namo Narayan, interrogates the contradiction between Uttarakhand’s identity as devbhoomi (the land of gods) and the ecological degradation caused by human interventions. Through layered metaphors, Vyapari Ka Khel by Tarun questions systems of governance and authority, echoing the silence and struggles of the people. The narrative ultimately becomes a symbolic appeal to the Dhami (the medium through whom the deity speaks), which also works as a double entendre directed at the state’s Chief Minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, urging him to address rampant “overdevelopment.” The song, therefore, brings together religious-cultural imagery and contemporary political critique. Its concern is not development in itself, but development pursued at a cost to forests, land, and local communities.

This evolving music tradition in Uttarakhand, therefore, reflects a dynamic connection between tradition and modernity. While rooted in the region’s cultural and folk heritage, emerging artists are reshaping musical expression to reflect present-day realities. Through the use of traditional instruments and socially conscious lyrics, young musicians are preserving their identity while also addressing various issues faced by the state and its population. This new wave of Uttarakhandi music goes beyond evoking nostalgia. It has also become a tool for critique, a call for reform, and a reaffirmation of cultural pride.

However, the reach of this emerging musical expression remains limited. The use of contemporary metaphors and hip-hop aesthetics may resonate strongly with younger audiences, but it has not yet fully connected with wider sections of Uttarakhand’s population. For these songs to become a more influential medium of social conversation, they will need to move beyond existing circles of listeners and engage broader communities. Nevertheless, the emergence of socially conscious young artists marks an important development in the region’s cultural landscape.

Whether this generation can move beyond existing audiences and contribute to a deeper engagement with Uttarakhand’s social and ecological challenges remains to be seen.

About the Author: Aryan Kanyal is a student in the Department of History at the University of Delhi. His academic interests include history and contemporary developments in Asia.