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.”
A sample (!) pic.twitter.com/wB8a9xi03G
— Ananth Krishnan (@ananthkrishnan) October 31, 2022
To counteract infrequent outbreaks of the Coronavirus disease, local governments are pursuing the zero-Covid policy, which includes lockdowns, vaccinations, and contact tracing.
《借米》火了！一切信号都告诉你 #粮食危机 pic.twitter.com/HXHScw1cP4
— 历史铭记（澳喜特战旅.第6号） (@guozhanshi) October 30, 2022
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.
The campus in Zhengzhou is believed to be the world’s largest iPhone factory, which confirmed that positive cases emerged in the campus last Wednesday. The factory reportedly has nearly 300,000 workers.
— Bang Xiao 萧邦 (@BangXiao_) October 30, 2022
According to local media, a scarcity of food supplies within the Foxconn facility was what caused the mass evacuation. China recorded 2,675 cases on Sunday, up from 802 the day before.
