Photo Credit: Gaah, TFA India
One of India’s longest running festivals, NH7 Weekender might be just around the corner. But as far as this year’s flagship edition in Pune is anything to go by, then it looks like the proceedings are constantly taking one hit after another. Following the break out of news of allegations of sexual misconduct against the festival’s parent company Only Much Louder (OML), the entire music and arts industry in the country continues to gather and make sense of the unsafe environment that seems to have unfortunately settled in.
And earlier yesterday, New Delhi-based label Azadi Records took to social media to announce that they would not be performing at NH7 Weekender in Pune which is slated to take place from December 7-9. In a lengthy statement, they talked about the collective decision of all the six artists who were to perform as part of their Azadi Records showcase at the festival and their stand “against the prevalent culture of sexual harassment and assault in the music industry and society at large.” What followed next was a strong move by Bengaluru-based act and Consolidate affiliate Disco Puppet who also went onto confirm his withdrawal from NH7 Weekender’s lineup citing the alleged developments surrounding OML.
You can read their respective statements below. And stay tuned for further updates.