Singer Masoom Sharma is the first artist to join the campaign.
| Photo Credit: special arrangement

The fight against the drug menace has hit a new note in Haryana, with popular singers being engaged in a unique ‘bucket challenge’. The Haryana State Narcotics Control Bureau’s (HSNCB) ‘Nasha Mukt Nayaab Jeevan Bucket Challenge’ seeks to distinguish the on-screen personas of Haryanvi singers, often blamed for glamorising drugs, guns, and gang culture, from their real-life duties as citizens committed to a drug-free Haryana, read a statement by the department.

The ‘challenge’ requires participants to fill a bucket with dirty water, symbolising the harmful effects of drugs and violence, and empty it, representing a clean break from these vices. The participants also need to write a message against substance abuse, take a pledge to live a drug-free life, and nominate three others for the challenge.

Masoom Sharma, one of Haryana’s most popular yet controversial singers, was the first artist to accept the challenge. “My songs are created purely for entertainment and driven by commercial demand. They are not meant to promote or endorse drugs or violence. In real life, I am strongly against these vices and believe that everyone, especially the youth, should stay away from them. This campaign gave me a chance to make that clear,” he said.

Singers like Mr. Sharma have been accused of promoting a harmful culture among their listeners. Music videos such as “Goli Chal Javegi,” “Kasoote 2,” and “Bam Lehri” have been criticised for normalising a lifestyle that glorifies lawlessness and substance abuse.

By engaging popular artists, the campaign intends to make them part of the solution instead of vilifying them, said an official. The singers also bring accountability to the drive, making it more resonant with the audience that looks up to them, the official added.

O.P. Singh, the Director General of the HSNCB, explained the campaign’s broader strategy: “Music and popular culture are powerful tools to shape societal values. While songs glamorising drugs and violence may be intended for entertainment, they often influence young minds in unintended ways. Through this challenge, we aim to show the contrast between an artist’s commercial work and their real-life stance as responsible citizens.”

“By taking the pledge, artists like Mr. Sharma ensure that viewers engage with their work critically and responsibly,” added Mr. Singh.

Mr. Sharma has nominated Bollywood actor Yashpal Sharma and prominent Haryanvi singers Vikash Kumar and Kirti Kumar Satta to take the challenge.