{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Pragaash | image = | caption = | image_size = | landscape = | origin = Jammu and Kashmir, India | genre = Rock, pop | years_active = 10 December 2012 – 29 February 2013<ref>{{cite web|title=Pragaash row: Why Kashmir must fight against radicals|date=5 February 2013|url=http://www.oneindia.com/2013/02/05/girl-band-pragaash-row-music-silenced-in-kashmir-1142980.html|publisher=One India|access-date=5 February 2013}}</ref> | associated_acts = Best Performance award | website = }}
'''Pragaash''' ({{langx|ks|پرَٛگاش}}, ''prāgāsh'' — «moonshine»<ref>{{cite book|author=Grierson G. A.|title=A dictionary of the Kashmiri language|url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/grierson_query.py?page=757|location=Calcutta|publisher=Asiatic Society of Bengal|year=1932|pages=757}}</ref>) was an Indian all-female rock band consisting of three Kashmiri Muslim girls- Noma Nazir Bhatt, Aneeqa Khalid and Farah Deeba. The band was formed in December 2012 and received controversy from Islamic scholars, who claimed that the band members allegedly broke the codes of Islam.<ref>{{cite web|title=Five things you need to know about Pragash, Kashmir's first all-girl band|date=4 February 2013|url=http://www.firstpost.com/india/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-pragash-kashmirs-first-all-girls-band-612438.html|publisher=First Post|accessdate=5 February 2013}}</ref> The band members all received threats of death, rape, and other physical harm, as well as a fatwa from the Grand Mufti of India's Kashmir, which prompted them to quit the band.<ref>{{cite web|title=After Grand Mufti's fatwa, Kashmir's all-girls band 'Pragash' calls it quits|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/after-grand-muftis-fatwa-kashmirs-allgirls-band-pragash-calls-it-quits/1069090/|publisher=Indian. Express|accessdate=5 February 2013}}</ref>
== History == The band made their first public appearance on 10 December 2012 when they participated in a Battle of Bands competition in Srinagar, India, where they received the award for "Best Performance".<ref name="NDTV">{{cite web|title=Abuses, threats can't silence Kashmir's only girl band|url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/abuses-threats-can-t-silence-kashmir-s-only-girl-band-325510|last=Iqbal|first=Sheikh Zaffar|date=4 February 2013|editor-last=Mukherjee|editor-first=Ashish|website=|publisher=NDTV|accessdate=5 February 2013}}</ref>
===Death threats=== Shortly after their win at the Battle of Bands, the group began to receive death and rape threats via their cell phones and Facebook profiles.<ref name="TOI">{{cite web|title=Kashmir's only all-girl band facing online threats, abuses|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-02-02/india/36703373_1_online-threats-rock-band-omar-abdullah|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130216070519/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-02-02/india/36703373_1_online-threats-rock-band-omar-abdullah|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 February 2013|work=The Times of India|accessdate=5 February 2013}}</ref> The Grand Mufti publicly criticized the band, stating that they were exhibiting "indecent behaviour" and that "this kind of non-serious activity can become the first step towards our destruction".<ref>{{cite news|title=Kashmir girl band Pragaash gives up after threats|work=BBC News|date=4 February 2013|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21325225|accessdate=5 February 2013}}</ref> On 3 February 2013 he issued a fatwa against the group, stating that music was "not good for society" and that all of the "bad things happening in the Indian society are because of music".<ref>{{cite web|title=Grand Mufti issues Fatwa against Pragaash|url=http://www.risingkashmir.in/news/grand-mufti-issues-fatwa-against-pragaash-41066.aspx|publisher=Daily Rising Kashmir|accessdate=5 February 2013}}</ref> Later that same month the police registered a First Information Report against the online attackers and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah ordered a probe in the matter.<ref name="TOI" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Police file FIR against online attackers of Kashmir girl band|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Srinagar/Police-file-FIR-against-online-attackers-of-Kashmir-girl-band/Article1-1006485.aspx|publisher=Hindustan Times|accessdate=5 February 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130205115846/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Srinagar/Police-file-FIR-against-online-attackers-of-Kashmir-girl-band/Article1-1006485.aspx|archivedate=5 February 2013}}</ref> In February 2013 three people were taken into custody and arrested for "promoting enmity between classes" and "criminal intimidation".<ref>{{cite web|title=Front Page 3 arrested in 'Pragaash' controversy remanded to judicial custody for 5 days|url=http://www.kashmirtimes.com/newsdet.aspx?q=12762|publisher=Kashmir Times|accessdate=15 March 2013}}</ref>
The band has received a large amount of global online support.<ref>{{cite web|title=Online support pours in for Pragaash|url=http://www.risingkashmir.in/news/online-support-pours-in-for-pragaash-41119.aspx|publisher=Daily Rising Kashmir|accessdate=5 February 2013}}</ref> The group initially received expressions of support and offers of security for the band from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah via Twitter, but he later deleted his tweets.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pragaash: Mufti's fatwa, Omar's reversal cost Kashmir its only all-girls band|url=http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/NAT-TOP-conservative-mufti-wins-pragaash-quits-music-4168793-NOR.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208034006/http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/NAT-TOP-conservative-mufti-wins-pragaash-quits-music-4168793-NOR.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 February 2013|publisher=Daily Bhaskar|accessdate=5 February 2013}}</ref>
==Band members== *Noma Nazir Bhatt, Vocals and guitar *Farah Deeba, Drums *Aneeqa Khalid, Bass guitar
==Popular culture== A authorized docu-drama, PRAGAASH (the song of silence) has been made on this Pragaash band by Marijuana Films. Written and directed by Janmejay Singh, it contains the interviews of Noma and Judges along with Adnan and famous music personalities of Jammu and Kashmir.
The band is cited in Marlon James's Man Booker Prize winning novel ''A Brief History of Seven Killings'' as "First Ray of Light".
==See also== *Women's rights in Jammu and Kashmir
== References == {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== *{{Facebook|id=Pragaash/507094726001072|name=Pragaash}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pragash Band}} Category:Indian all-female bands Category:Indian rock music groups Category:Musical groups established in 2012 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2013 Category:2012 establishments in Jammu and Kashmir Category:2013 disestablishments in India