It is often said, ‘There is no art without conflict, and there are no protests without anthems. The Indian Independence struggle was no different.’ As we all know, music has, since ages, been a powerful medium through which protests have been not only created but also taken forward. The poems or songs sung during the Indian Freedom Struggle conveyed a strong political message and were aimed at dismantling oppressive rule. Songs were a medium for India’s freedom fighters to instill social consciousness in the minds of common Indians, who had probably accepted foreign rule as their fate.
Let me give some examples, such as Vande Mataram, penned by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and sung by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress. By 1910, it had become a marching song. Be it ‘jhanda uncha rahe humara, “Vijayi vishwa tiranga pyara,” or ‘Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna ab hamare dil mein hai’.
And the impact of music on struggle is not limited to India only. How many of you have heard, we shall overcome? The song has a history of revolution; it was sung during the labour movement in America. So, songs have an impact, they can set the discourse, motivate you to stand up for a cause. At times, it misguides too.
On a lighter note, we all know that innumerable freedom fighters have shed their blood for independence, from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, but still, at the back of our minds, we believe that India won its independence through Ahinsa, and the credit goes to songs like ‘De di hame azadi bina khadg bina dhal, Sabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamaal’.
Any kind of literature has a great impact on the human conscience; however, it’s easier to shake it with the help of songs. And how do you think the Khalistani sympathisers would have missed this?
Also read: Jail? Outside Punjab? Free? Where is Amritpal Singh?
Khalistan is resurrecting again
Many are saying that the era of the 1980s has returned in Punjab. However, whatever you are witnessing today has been brewing for years. For over a decade, Punjab has been relently sliding towards the anarchy that swept the state in the 1980s and 1990s. When the first posters of Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale appeared in Gurudwaras in the early 2000s, it should have been a wake-up call for the authorities. But no one cared and today donning a tshirt with the image of Bhindrawale imprinted on it is a new cool in the region.
Another indicator was the revival of Khalistani propaganda through well-oiled machinery in countries like Canada, the UK, the US, Germany, and Australia. This was another indicator, and a big one this time, however, the authorities refused to come out of their slumbers and act. They waited for a self-styled man to break into the Ajnala Police Station with armed men all around.
But what was majorly missed, was the glorification of Khalistani ideas by musicians churning out toxic music. This was another huge indication that everything’s not alright in Punjab; otherwise, why would a major chunk of musicians and singers have been bringing out pro-Khalistan songs? Further to your surprise, the ones doing this were not outcasts but made stars in no time.
Also read: Decoding Bhagwant Maan’s quick action against Amritpal and the inherent Shah angle
The issue with Punjabi Music Industry
Let’s go back to the Farmers Protest. Why? you may ask. It is because songs produced during this time were given much credit for enthusing the protesting youth against the laws. The songs were labelled as ‘Songs of resistance and Revolution’. But what we missed were the Khalistani undertones of such songs. For instance, take the ‘Fer Dekhange’ fiasco.
What happens in the animated video of Punjabi song Fer Dekhange? Jatts are seen blocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s convoy and singling him out. PM Modi, wearing a saffron overcoat, faces a blockade by Jatts atop their tractors, who then surround him and are armed with sticks. First, the ones designated for the PM’s security are seen running away, and the next to run away was PM Modi.
The visuals were the highlight of the song by Simu Dhillion, however, the lyrics cannot be missed either, “Masla Punjab Da Pani Da Chandigarh Da, Pa Gaya Shaheedi Sant Hakka De Layi,” which simply translates to that ‘The issues of Punjab are those of water and Chandigarh’s status as a union territory. ‘Sant,” this is how he is referred to, Sant Bhindrawale attained martyrdom for them.
So, is Simu Dhillon alone in this, No! Many Punjabi singers, who could hardly earn two meals a day, are now having a flourishing career, and all this with the release of anti-government and anti-reform songs, with obviously a secessionist undertone, or aptly, a Khalistani undertone.
Also read: After India’s veiled warning, countries around the world crack down on Khalistanis
Toxic Punjabi music industry aiding Khalistan
Here, I am not going to tell you how badly the Khalistani undertones have crept into the industry, but would be dissecting some songs.
Let’s begin with Sidhu Moosewala. How many of you remember Panjab, one of his much-hyped releases? He had released the song at the height of the farmers’ protest, in which he can be clearly seen supporting the idea of Khalistani. The beginning of the song is followed by old footage of Bhindrawale along with his aides walking and the lyrics that plays in the background says, “Keh Keh K Badle Lainda, Mainu Panjab Kehande aa, Delhi Vee Nap Lainda, Mainu Punjab Kehande aa”. The song disregarded the very idea of India and the lyrics played around with the idea of sovereignty for Sikhs.
Another song, ‘KAALI,’ released by the channel Ak47 Wale, advocates for violence against Khalistani opponents. All that the graphics contained was Khalistanis shooting into the atmosphere; the targets remained hidden—except in the case of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The song was nothing more than a motivation for the youth to pick up guns in support of Khalistan. Well, this was not the first time that a song was being used to promote gun culture; however, here it was accompanied by the visuals of Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale.
To add cherry to the topping, how can we forget Sophia Jamil. She had taken the hatred beyond comprehension in her song, Khalistan: The Solution. The singer used the song to advocate for Khalistan by spreading fictitious ideas about Sikh persecution, oppression, and the rise of fascism in India.
Many songs, including Sidhu Moose Wala’s SYL, Kanwar Grewal’s ‘Ailaan,’ and Himmat Sandhu’s ‘Asi Vaddange,’ have been removed from the video-sharing platform YouTube.These songs were found to be promoting violence, and hence were taken down. But what would surprise you is that at the time of deletion, Ailaan had over 1 crore views, and Himmat Sandhu’s ‘Asi Vaddange’ was viewed 13 million times.
Want some more examples, look at Jazzy B’s ‘Teer Punjab Tonne’ which means Arrow from Punjab. The song projects Delhi, that is, India, as a demonic entity that has historically subverted, subjugated, and ruled over Punjab. His song ‘Putt Sardara De’ also glorified Bhindrawale and supported the demand for Khalistan. Where does he stay, yes you have guessed it right, the UK.
Also read: No More Tolerance for Khalistanis: India’s Stand Against International Terrorist sympathisers
What ignited the debate?
While the singers have been reaping benefits by singing anti-India and pro-Khalistan songs for years, what ignited the debate was an Instagram post by one of the much-hyped Punjabi singers, who not coincidentally, lives in Canada. Yes! I am talking about Shubhjit Singh, popularly known as Shubh. Amid the ongoing trail of fugitive Amritpal Singh, on March 21, the singer shared a distorted map of India.
On the map, Punjab was coloured separately, which included Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East region were removed from India’s map. Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut spoke on the issue, saying, “Many Punjabi celebrities are infected with the virus of Khalistani disease. Beheading India on its map should have serious consequences. The government of India must make strong laws against such criminals. Fill a proper answer to Khalistan in their heads by locking them in jail. That is the way to fill in the blanks with them.”
And this is not the first such incident; earlier, in November 2002, Punjabi singer Kaur B had also posted a distorted map of India. The same image was used by Punjabi actor Neeru Bajwa. Byg Byrd, who goes by the instagram handle Brown Boys and has 237K followers, uses the hashtag #IAMPANJABINOTINDIAN, and Wazir Patar says that if you are a Sikh, you are a target, implying that Amritpal Singh, who has not committed any crimes, is still a target.
Further, Jaz Dhami, every one of us know him, what has he said about the action of fugitive Amritpal Singh, “Regardless if you support Bhai Saab or not just look around and absorb what is going on. This is Human Rights violation. Innocent people getting picked up for being gurusikh, peacefully protesting by doing naam jaap, no internet, roads blocked.”
Well, let’s put some questions for Jaz Dhami to answer, has he no information that Amritpal Singh was advocating for Khalistan? And second, who with a sound mind would say that the Ajnala incident was peaceful?
Also read: Explainer: The working model of Bhindrawale 2.0
The immediate need to tighten the noose
Currently, there are more than 100 YouTube channels streaming songs imbued with anti-India and pro-Khalistan sentiments. Most of them have over a million subscribers, so you can guess their reach. Do you remember what secessionist group ‘Sikhs for Justice’ told popular Punjabi singers after the murder of Sidhu Moose Wala that “now is the time to support the Khalistan referendum for the liberation of Punjab from India” stating that “no one can predict that name and timing of the next bullet”?
The Indian establishment needs to make sure that India doesn’t get inflicted with another episode of “De di hame azadi bina khadg bina dhal,” because this time there are not just mere songs but sentiments that threaten India’s sovereignty.
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