New Delhi: A host of singers and actors from the Punjabi film industry, some of who are known nationally too, have come out in support of farmers, opposing the contentious farm bills passed by the Parliament last week.
Renowned Punjabi artistes, including Diljit Dosanjh, Gurdas Maan, Jazzy B, Gippy Grewal, Ammy Virk, Sargun Mehta, have tweeted supporting the farmers, who are protesting against the bills.
Singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh tweeted on 18 September: “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan.”
जय जवान, जय किसान ✊🏽
— DILJIT DOSANJH (@diljitdosanjh) September 17, 2020
Singer Gurdas Maan shared a picture of him as a farmer and wrote: “Kisaan hai, toh Hindustan hai (India exists because of farmers)”.
Kisaan hai, teh Hindustaan hai 🙏🏽 Sarbat Da bhala hovey pic.twitter.com/EzJ4IINGmq
— Gurdas Maan (@gurdasmaan) September 19, 2020
Popular actress Sargun Mehta tweeted: “Save the farmers, save the country”.
#RePosted.
ਕਿਸਾਨ ਬਚਾਓ ਦੇਸ਼ ਬਚਾਓ 🙏🏾
Kisaan Virodhi Bill Da Asi Sarey Virod Karde Haan . https://t.co/XreffgMD5L— Sargun Mehta (@sargun_mehta) September 17, 2020
Actor and singer Gippy Grewal posted a video of him singing about agitating farmers.
ਕਿਸਾਨ ਮਜਦੂਰ ਏਕਤਾ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਾਬਾਦ 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Z2icYbgr5i
— Gippy Grewal (The Main Man) (@GippyGrewal) September 20, 2020
Singers Harbhajan Mann, Ranjit Bawa, and actor Ammy Virk also tweeted their opposition to the bills.
‘Farming is the pride of Punjab’
North Zone Film & TV Artistes’ Association’s president and well-known Punjabi actor Gurpreet Ghuggi told ThePrint that this is a failure of the Modi government and by bringing the private sector into the picture, the government has crushed the morale of the farmers.
“When the beneficiaries (the farmers) disagree, how can they claim that this is for the farmers’ good? The government is saying that the opposition is inciting the farmers, but since when the opposition got so stronger than the government, who has every machinery at their disposal?” said Ghuggi.
He said the association held a meeting Monday on the issue and unanimously condemned the bills.
“Farming is the pride of Punjab, farmers have always supported the Punjabi film industry. We tell their stories and shoot in their villages and fields. The Punjabi film industry and farmers complement each other,” he added.
Speaking to ThePrint, singer Jazzy B said: “I condemn the bills and fully support the farmers of the country in their fight.”
Last week, he tweeted a poem in Punjabi in support of the farmers.
ਅਸੀਂ ਅਜ਼ਾਦ ਪਰਿੰਦੇ ਕਿਰਤ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੇ
ਹੱਕ ਮਾਰੀਂ ਨਾਂ ਤੂੰ ਕਿਰਤੀ ਕਿਸਾਨੀਆ ਦੇਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਨੇ ਵੀ ਹੱਥੀਂ ਸੀ ਕਿਰਤ ਕੀਤੀ
ਵਾਰਿਸ ਗੁਰੂਆਂ ਦੇ ਨਾਂ ਵਿਰਵੇ ਖਲੋਣ ਦੇਣੇਬੰਦਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਹਾਦਰ ਕਿਸਾਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਹੱਕ ਦਿੱਤੇ
ਉਹ ਹੱਕ ਨਾ ਕਿਸੇ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਆਪਾਂ ਖੋਣ ਦੇਣੇਂ । ਸੁਖਬੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਚੌਹਾਨ pic.twitter.com/9k7wMaJN15— Jazzy B (@jazzyb) September 17, 2020
The ‘Dil le gayi kudi’ fame singer Jasbir Jassi has come out with a song in support of the farmers, asking why they always have to fight for their rights, irrespective of which party is in power.
मेरे किसान भाइयों, खेत-मजदूरों, आढ़ती भाइयो, मंडीकर्मियों, मुनीमों, ट्रांसपोर्टर साथियों!
समय आ गया है कि :-
गांडीव उठा, टंकार बजा,
फिर रणभेरी की हुंकार बजा।
एक नए समय और एक नए वक्त का तू है साज,
आओ! मिलकर, अब करें नया आगाज।“किसान की पुकार” –
"पोस्टकार्ड" की तीसरी कड़ी – 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/4esOahw17T— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) September 22, 2020
Speaking to ThePrint, Jassi said the bills will snatch away the freedom of the farmers.
“Farmers have a unique mindset and it is different from the corporate houses. Even if it is being said that the bills will benefit the farmers in the long run, the government should at least sit and the discuss it with the farmers who are protesting,” he added.
Supporters of the bills
Punjabi singer-songwriter Daler Mehndi and his brother-singer Mika Singh have, however, supported the bills.
Mehndi has been actively tweeting in favour of the bills, adding that the Modi government has set the farmers free from middlemen.
On 19 September, he posted a video, asking people to have faith in the bills brought in by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
वर्षा से ग़ुलामी ज़ंजीरों में बंद किसानों को जब @narendramodi जी ने खुशहाल बनाने का काम किया है तो विपक्षी दलों में हाहाकार मच गया है . हम सब किसान भाइयों को बधाई @AmitShah @BJP4India @naveenjindalbjp @ANI pic.twitter.com/um8kqu8E1p
— Daler Mehndi (@dalermehndi) September 19, 2020
Mika Singh, meanwhile, tweeted that the new bills will make the lives of the farmers simpler, and also asked people to beware of the confusion spread by the opposition.
हमारे मानन्नि @PMOIndia ज़ी हमेशा से किसानों के हित में फ़ैसले लेती आयी है, पहले भी कोरोना काल में मोदी सरकार ने ही किसान भाइयों के खातों में धनराशि भेजी थी और आज इस नए बिल से किसानों का जीवन और सरल होगा, इसके कुछ प्रमुख बिंदुओं को आप पढ़िए और विपक्ष के द्वारा फैलाए भ्रम से बचे🙏
— King Mika Singh (@MikaSingh) September 19, 2020
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