A legal complaint has been filed by the government, leading to the track being removed from viewing in India.
Our Correspondent
The Punjabi singer-actor Sidhu Moosewala continues to court controversy even after his demise. His first song to be released posthumously, ‘Syl’, was shared on YouTube late last week. However, the number, which refers to a range of issues that Punjab is jostling with, has now been removed from the platform.
Written and composed by Moosewala, the song title refers to the Sutlej Yamuna link canal, a long-standing contentious proposal to share the river waters between the states of Punjab and Haryana.
According to the website of the newspaper Hindustan Times, the song has been blocked for viewing in India following a legal complaint filed by the government. ‘Syl’ garnered over 27 million views and 3.3 million likes on YouTube in just two days of its release. As reported by the site, the objection has been made by the government on the grounds that the issue of the canal, referred to extensively in the song, is sub-judice.
The news website also reported that the move to ban the song has been criticized by Moosewala’s family, who have asked the government to withdraw the complaint.
The lyrics of ‘Syl’ point to a number of issues such as the division of Punjab in 1966, which created the states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh; the anti-Sikh riots in 1984; the Sikh prisoners languishing in jails; and the recent farmers’ agitation, even making a call for the sovereignty for Punjab. Politically engaged and provocative, the song raises concerns over the desertification of the state and ends with the hashtags Save Punjab Waters and Free Sikh Prisoners.
