Digital revolution reduces sway of hookah chaupals

The digital revolution is reducing the political and social importance of the smoke-filled world of hookah chaupals in the agrarian belt of western Uttar Pradesh where deliberations often used to culminate in a decision on who to vote for at the hustings.

Village elders blame easy access to the internet and the availability of smartphones as a major reason for the waning significance of hookah chaupals and their political heft.

“Internet and mobile phones have connected youngsters with the world but at the same time they have been largely disconnected from their roots and traditions,” says Saurabh who runs a dairy at Soram village in Muzaffarnagar, which votes in the first phase of the Lok Sabha election on April 19.

“Conclusions drawn at these hookah chaupals used to guide families and youngsters in elections as they had faith in the wisdom and experience of their elders,” explains Sukrampal Singh at Kakda village nearby.

Not merely a smoking object, the hookah used to be a melting pot of ideas and debates at chaupals in villages of the region.

In the past, the significance of these hookah chaupals was enhanced during the election time as village elders used to discuss every aspect of political parties, their candidates and how their assurances and claims could benefit them and their villages, Rajendra Singh, resident of Kakda, recalls nostalgically.

“A small gathering of elderly people around a hookah is called hookah chaupal and people sitting around it keep on smoking in rotation and discuss issues for hours,” says Kehar Singh, another resident of Kukra.

A hookah or waterpipe is a single or multi-steamed instrument for heating or vapourising and then smoking either tobacco or flavoured tobacco. The smoke passes through a water basin made of clay or brass and sometimes glass, before inhalation.

In Soram, Vikas Singh and Rampal say the internet and mobile phones have weaned youngsters away from traditional systems, including hookah chaupals.

In the past, the entire village used to vote in favour of a party or candidate decided by their elders, locals say.

But now the situation has completely changed and family members could have different opinions and vote for different candidates.

Tejpal Singh of Kakda says this is because youngsters now get information through multiple sources on the internet.

Instead of accepting the outcome of these “hookah chaupals”, they argue with the elders and bluntly tell them: “Tumhe kuch nahin pata ( you don’t know anything).”

He also says political parties have learnt how to encourage youngsters by providing content about their benefits on the social media and other platforms.