Sidhu Moose Wala’s SYL strikes chord, calls to protect Punjab’s river waters
With more than 18.5 million views in 24 hours, slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala’s song SYL, which that talks about deep-rooted controversial issues of Punjab, was trending as the number one video globally on YouTube
With more than 18.5 million (1.85 crore) views in 24 hours, slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala’s song SYL, which that talks about the deep-rooted controversial issues of Punjab, was trending as the number one video globally on YouTube on Friday evening.
The song, which was released from Moose Wala’s official YouTube account at 6pm on Thursday, has got 2.5 million (25 lakh) likes on the online video sharing website. The song is also being widely shared on the social media platform Instagram, where the slain singer remains popular with 10.6 million followers, up from around 7 million at the time of his death on May 29. The teaser of the song uploaded on Instagram has more than 9.6 million views.
The first song released after Moose Wala’s death, the song is focused on the more than four-decade-old politically complex issue of the construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal (SYL).
Unlike his previous songs that glorified the gun culture, this song talks about events Punjab has witnessed since 1947. Striking a sensitive note, apart from the SYL row with neighbouring Haryana, the singer has talked about the post-Independence undivided Punjab, sovereignty, 1984 riots, Sikh prisoners’ release, and the incident of the Khalsa flag at Red Fort during the farmers’ agitation. The song ends with the message: “Each one of you is the last hope for protecting Punjab’s river waters to prevent the state from turning into a desert.”
Earlier, Moose Wala’s song “295” had made it to Billboard Global 200 Chart after his death.
Unfinished tracks and a father’s appeal
The SYL song’s release came a day after it was leaked on social media. Moose Wala’s family had appealed to music producers not to share or release any of the singer’s unfinished tracks with anyone except his father Balkaur Singh.
During the “antim ardas” ceremony at Mansa earlier this month, Balkaur Singh said that he will keep Sidhu alive through his songs for at least the next six-seven years. After Moose Wala’s murder, now his father would be taking the final call on his pending and unreleased works.
According to his family there are some songs which will be released in the future accordingly.
“Few are completed but there are some which were unfinished. So, it will be planned with the music team on how to handle his work. Moose Wala has left behind a number of finished songs and unfinished work in writing,” a family member said.
Moose Wala was shot dead on May 29 at Jawahar Ke village in Punjab’s Mansa district a day after the state government curtailed his security cover.
According to his family, Moose Wala had completed the audio recording of SYL and the video shoot conceptualisation was in progress when he was killed. He was scheduled to visit Canada for his concerts this summer and the plan was to release the SYL song just before that during the Sangrur byelection.
On a controversial note
Moose Wala had got into controversies over the lyrics of his songs, including Sanju and Scapegoat. SYL also starts on a controversial note with statement of Aam Adami Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha member Sushil Gupta after his party formed the government in Punjab. “Now we have a government in Punjab. In 2024, the AAP will form the government in Haryana, too. In 2025, water will reach every farm in Haryana. This is not our promise but our guarantee,” Gupta had said.
The song also ends on more controversial note with the extracts of a statement given by governor Satya Pal Malik. “Indira Gandhi knew that she would be killed and she was killed. They killed former army chief General AS Vaidya in Pune and General Dwyer in London. I have even said that don’t test the patience of the Sikh community,” Malik had said before the farm laws were taken back by the Union government.
Glorifying Sikh militancy
The cover of the SYL song carries the photo of Sikh militant Balwinder Singh Jattana, who had killed two engineers at the SYL head office at Chandigarh in 1990. The video has visuals of militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and army movement during Operation Bluestar.
Jattana, who was associated with pro-Khalistan outfit Babbar Khalsa, along with three accomplices allegedly assassinated officials discussing the construction of the canal. Their action halted the construction of the canal and it has still not resumed.
Jattana was also suspected to be involved in the bomb attack on former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in August 1991. Four family members of Jattana were allegedly killed by Punjab Police cat Ajit Singh Puhla on August 29, 1991. Jattana himself was killed in an encounter by Punjab Police on September 7 that year.
Moose Wala starts the song by demanding Chandigarh, Himachal, Haryana and way to sovereignty. Further the tag line says, “Ona chir pani chado, tuka nai dinde (Till then forget water, we will not even give a drop).” Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh were carved out of Punjab in 1966 and nost of the hill area of Punjab, including Kangra, was merged in Himachal Pradesh.
The map showing the SYL Canal’s plan with subtitles in the video reads, “To stop being robbed of our waters, we will have to completely abolish the 1966 Reorganisation Act and Section 5 of the Termination of Agreements Act, 2004.” The lyrics say: “Pani da ki e, pani tan pulan thalon vagna. sanu nal rala lao lakh bhave, thale ni lagna. dabke nal mangde o, asi tan nai dinde. ona chir pani chado, tupka nai dinde (Water will keep flowing under bridges. You can make us join you, but we will not bow to you. We are not giving it to you because you are asking for it in offensive manner).”
With the lyrics seeking release of Sikh prisoners, the video shows footage of Balwant Singh Rajoana, Jagtar Singh Hawara, Lakhwinder Singh and Shamsher Singh, Gurdeep Singh and Jagtar Singh Tara, all convicted for the assassination of former CM Beant Singh, and Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar, who was convicted by a TADA court in a 1993 Delhi bomb blast case that left nine people dead and 31 injured. Visuals of Sikh radicals with weapons in 1984 and pictures of Harjinder Singh Jinda and Sukhdev Singh Sukha, who had assassinated General Vaidya to avenge Operation Bluestar, are also featured.