Punjab’s singers warn Centre: ‘Don’t mess with us’

Sukhmeet Bhasin
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, November 24

More and more Punjabi singers are singing their support to farmers in the standoff with the central government over their controversial farm legislation.

Punjabi singers Kanwar Grewal and Harf Cheema recently released their new song “Jatta khich tyari, Pecha pae gaya center naal” on the standoff.

Grewal’s song goes:  “Punjab te naal khada, bas na di yaari Delhi di. Kali nitia karde lagu, oh niyat madi Delhi di” (Punjab stands with you, but Delhi has friendship just for the sake of name, they are implementing black policies, Delhi has bad intentions). The accompanying video shows old farmers and women holding protests against the three laws.

Harf Cheema’s song “Tera vaah peya eh kihde naal, tainu dasange sarkare ni’ (Listen government, we’ll tell you what you are up against) is on similar lines.

Another singer with a similar protest song is Jass Bajwa, who sings: “Centre di sarkaar rahi sada Jatta layi Gaddar, Jatta tagda hoja (The Centre has always been a traitor for Jatt farmer, Jatts strengthen yourselves)”.

Korala Maan (“Dilliye khyal rakh layi, kitte kahi aale modhe te bandook na aa je) and Elly Mangat (Baghi Kisan) also sing about the protest. Mangat’s ‘Baghi Kisan’ tells a story about Baghel Singh, a Sikh general who attacked the Mughals in Delhi in the late 18th century.

 “Lagda Baghel Singh yaad tainu reha nai (It seems you have forgotten Baghel Singh),” Mangat sings.

This comes as several Punjabi singers have already come out in support of farmers in the protest.