NIKKI MINAJ PARODY MAKES A BUZZ ON INTERNET TO FIGHT AGAINST POLLUTION IN INDIA

USPA NEWS - Sofia ASHRAF, 28, made a huge buzz transforming a song of Nikki Minaj ' Anaconda) into a Rap song to protest against the Giant Company UNILEVER. The song is called "Kodaikamal won't". Sofia ASHRAF choosed to protest via Rap...

Kodaikamal is the name of a tourist resort in the Hills of Tamil Nadu State that was contaminated by mercury from a thermometer factory. This song was viewed nearly 2 million times on YouTube. She appears dancing on a boat and sprawling on a train while demanding the Company UNILEVER to clean up the mess. This factory owned by Hindustan UNILEVER, closed in 2001. More than 1,000 former workers are alleged to have been affected by mercury poisoning, which can cause skin problems, sensory impairment and a lack of coordination.

Sofia ASHRAF was working previously in advertisment field. She believes that it helped her in developping a better understanding of how to use popular culture to reach a wide audience. Her choice of Nikki Minaj's song is that she wanted to base her protest on a "popular song". She wanted to attract Nikki Minaj fans and also to get the attention of the ones who don't like her song. Her motivation, she claims, are not to become a social activist, but she has a conscience like everyone and that she had to do something.

The viral success of the video lead UNILEVER, in a press release published on its website, to declare continuying "to take the issue very seriously and it's one we are keen to see resolved". Listing several "expert studies" conducted by them since the factury closure, it was claimed that the "former employees did not suffer ill-health due to the nature of their work". Also added to "continue to act in a transparent and responsible manner regarding this matter" and have asked NGOs, employee representatives and legal representatives to come together and agree on an outcome.

Unlike many other songs with messages suffering a lonely and quick internet death, Ashraf's rap went on to achieve the purpose for which it was created. A rare moment in the superficial world of digital campaigns. She claimed that she wasn't a sole crusader of the cause. There is a collection of NGOs and activists behind the campaign who have been fighting for years. They have been organizing protests and released publications on the matter. She came into picture because of the clean image HUL had on social media thanks to their sustainability campaign. Jayaraman of Vetiver Collective went to her with the idea of launching a social media campaign to counter that image.