E-Paper
2022, the year that was: Punjab edition
This year was a mixed bag of emotions for Punjab
This year was a mixed bag of emotions for Punjab. On one hand, life bounced back to normalcy after the Covid-19 pandemic, on the other, the murder of Sidhu Moosewala shook the region. Here are some moments of 2022 that stood out:
Sidhu Moosewala murder
The brutal murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala in Mansa in May shocked his fans and fellow artistes. The investigation into his murder found that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang got the young singer eliminated in retaliation to the murder of youth Akali leader Vicky Middukhera. Police probe also revealed that Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar, a member of the gang, was the mastermind behind the killing.
Unique traffic awareness
A Chandigarh cop sang Daler Mehndi’s song Bolo Ta Ra Ra with his own lyrics to raise awareness about non-designated parking spots and pick up of illegally parked vehicles. His lyrics ‘Aas paas vekha meri gaddi kaun lae gaya, khali hath vich chabi reh gai, bolo ta ra ra...Gaddi nu crane lae gai, Bolo Ta Ra Ra’ was widely appreciated on social media.
Alfaaz attacked
Punjabi singer Alfaaz aka Amanjot Singh Panwar had sustained injuries after a speeding vehicle hit him on Banur-Landran highway outside Pal Dabha, Mohali in October. The vehicle was being driven by a former employee of the dhaba, Vicky, who was trying to flee after a payment dispute with the eatery owner. Accused was later arrested on charges of rash driving and ‘causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others’ by the Mohali police.
Literati 10th edition
Literati, the trilingual Chandigarh literature festival, was resumed post-Covid, at Indradhanush Auditorium, Panchkula, and the Lake Club, Chandigarh in December. Around 35 authors, including South African author of Indian origin, Aman Singh Maharaj, actor Divya Dutta, journalist Rasheed Kidwai, Punjabi poet Surjit Patar, Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi chairperson Madhav Kaushik, writer Neelesh Kulkarni, poet Sudeep Sen, writer Rana Safvi and Vikram Sampath, conducted sessions across English, Hindi, and Punjabi languages.
Musical night at Chandigarh Carnival
After a gap of two years, the three-day Chandigarh Carnival was organised at Leisure Valley, Sector 10, Chandigarh this December. Singers Shaan, Jassie Gill, and Babbal Rai enthralled the live audience with soulful renditions of their popular songs. There were repeated requests for Jassi’s Nikle Current and Lamborghini, and Rai’s Yarr Jatt De. Also, the audience couldn’t help but shake a leg as Shaan belted out Main Hoon Don, Om Shanti Om, and Kuch To Hua Hai.
