Sona wants society where gender equality is the norm

Singer Sona Mohapatra, who has sung a song titled "Saamne aa" that speaks against son preference, says she supports the idea of having a society where gender equality is the norm and not the exception.

The song is for the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' campaign.

"'Saamne aa' has a simple tune. I have kept my rendition of it simple, so that the essence and meaning of the song emerge. I agreed to be part of this project because I am in line with its vision - to have a society where gender equality is the norm, not the exception," Sona said in a statement.

The song's video has special performances by star couple Paresh Rawal and Swaroop Sampat.

Paresh said: "This government is trying to bring about a transformational shift in the way our society looks at the girl child. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' is one of the finest initiatives towards that."

Composed by Siddharth Sharma, the track was launched earlier this month on Times Music and has already grossed more than six lakh views online.

"Saamne aa" creator Reeta Gupta said: "We must not be vague about the issue of gender. We must have specific action points, such as celebrate the birth of the girl child in the family, raise our sons and daughters as equals, encourage varied professions for our girls..."

"Educate those who are indulging in son preference; that a daughter is every bit as capable, report any incidence of sex determination test and more."

--IANS

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