People in China are protesting lockdown measures on social media. Videos circulating on the internet show Chinese people singing the popular Hindi song “Jimmy Jimmy Aaja Aaja” in Mandarin. They are heard singing “Jie mi, jie mi”, which translates into “Give me rice, give me rice”. China has been under lockdown for a long time.
The iconic Mithun Chakraborty song ‘Jimmy Jimmy Aaja Aaja’ from the early 80s composed by Bappi Lahiri has become a protest anthem in China. Millions of Chinese stuck in homes due to the stringent Covid lockdowns have taken to the well-known Bollywood song to make a point. But why this song? The reason for using this particular song is that, in Mandarin, ‘Jie mi’ translates to “Give me rice”, a protest reflecting the shortage many people under lockdown are facing. In several videos that went viral on social media platforms, they are also seen holding up empty vessels, showing that they are short of essentials due to China’s zero-Covid strategy that’s seen many in long lockdowns.
For those in China who wish to defy the government’s “zero Covid” policy, the superhit song “Jimmy Jimmy Aaja Aaja” from the 1982 movie “Disco Dancer” by Hindi music composer Bappi Lahiri has emerged as an unexpected choice. Residents who are now subject to a strict Covid-19 lockdown are dancing to Jimmy, Jimmy by Bappi Lahiri, which has become the country’s anti-lockdown anthem
On Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, a lot of people are posting videos that use the song. One of the viral videos depicts a lady singing the song in Mandarin, “Jie mi, Jie mi,” which translates to “Give me rice, give me rice.”
Jimmy Jimmy is a way to express sufferings
The population has been incensed by the strict regulations as a result of restrictions on freedom of movement, food shortages, and a lack of access to essential medical services. Strangely, the act eluded the attention of Chinese censors, who are quick to erase anything regarded as being critical of President Xi Jinping and his administration.
In order to express the suffering of the people, the Hindi song “Jimmy Jimmy” has been skillfully transformed into a subdued protest song in China. Many people are praising those who are protesting the limits in a peaceful manner. In the social media videos, users can be seen dancing and lip-syncing to the well-known Hindi song while sporting the traditional Indian women’s clothing, “bindi,” and a handcrafted saree.
Indian movies have always been extremely well-liked in China, dating back to the heyday of cinema legend Raj Kapoor in the 1950s and 1960s and up until more recent times, when titles like “3 Idiots,” “Secret Superstar,” “Hindi Medium,” “Dangal,” and “Andhadhun” have made remarkably decent profits at the Chinese box office.
Employees recruited to build Apple’s newest iPhone staged a walkout from a site in Zhengzhou, central China, following the virus outbreak and complaints of unsafe working conditions. Employees began fleeing the Foxconn site after some of them grew ill in the middle of October but received no medical assistance, according to reports. Individuals were seen walking around the streets carrying luggage, probably in the lack of public transportation.
