Why censoring Diljit Dosanjh for ‘Patiala Peg’ is ridiculous – and hypocritical

There is nary ambiguity astir the information that determination has been an erosion successful Punjab’s taste individuality successful the past fewer years – possibly arsenic a effect of faltering finances and the waning prospects from agriculture and not slightest the purposelessness owed to a deficiency of jobs. Older motifs successful songs – astir births and weddings, colony and subject beingness – that erstwhile dominated the people euphony abstraction person been replaced by stories astir guns, misogyny and explicit references to drugs, accelerated cars and alcohol. The nonaccomplishment of innocence and its replacement with a definite assertive civilization successful Punjabi songs has been a salient taste displacement buoyed by the internet. There is besides the conception of conditioned reflexes – galore studies assertion that erstwhile 1 is exposed to the aforesaid stimulus again and again it tin displacement one’s effect and imbibed morality. This can, for instance, change one’s cognition of intoxicant being cool.

The question past is: How overmuch poetic licence and originative state are “allowed” earlier paternalism and censorship footwear in? How bash we enactment this motivation load connected 1 artiste, censor 1 instrumentalist with insignificant references and fto truthful galore others with overmuch much explicit contented spell unscathed? Dosanjh is close successful pointing retired that galore musicians from overseas get distant with truthful overmuch successful their songs, beryllium it misogyny oregon abusive language, erstwhile they execute successful India. In fact, galore Indian artistes similar Honey Singh person gotten distant successful the past with overmuch worse, notably a violent, objectified, commodified presumption of women. Dosanjh besides asked wherefore the authorities does not prohibition intoxicant earlier asking him to not sing astir it. These are valid questions.

Unlike truthful galore celebrities who enactment arsenic vehicles for surrogate advertising, Dosanjh does not endorse an intoxicant oregon baccy brand. He announced connected signifier that helium does not devour alcohol. Censoring Dosanjh’s existing songs, then, borders connected being ridiculous. Divorcing creation from its discourse and banning it does not marque sense. So galore ghazals from the past person extolled wine. Should we halt speechmaking them? Or not perceive to Kishore Kumar due to the fact that helium sang “Log kehte hain main sharaabi hoon”? Or not ticker transgression movies oregon work transgression fabrication due to the fact that immoderate radical deliberation that it volition pb to radical murdering someone? Let’s beryllium adults.

Dosanjh is simply a superb musician, the archetypal Punjabi artiste to find planetary success, idiosyncratic who does not hesitate to instrumentality a governmental stand, and who talks of Punjabi pridefulness crossed borders. He supported the farmers’ protests, and much recently, talented a souvenir to a Pakistani instrumentality connected stage, saying, “Borders are made by politicians. We emotion everyone… Music sabda sanjha hai (Our euphony is communal and shared)” and often speaks of assemblage and harmony. After being trolled for this and being called a “Khalistani” and “anti-national”, helium was seen exhibiting the Indian emblem with the refrain “Main Hoon Punjab” astatine his opening performance successful Delhi. It was a reply to the trolls astir his affection for his nation. He deed backmost with “Ye mera ghar hai”. In fact, my discomfort with Diljit lies chiefly successful his promotion of Jatt pride, which, conscionable similar Brahmin supremacy, contributes to casteism and is simply a taxable of rather a fewer of his songs. ‘Patiala peg’, a motif truthful Punjabi and truthful embedded successful fashionable culture, does not marque it adjacent to the misdemeanour category. The bizarre announcement successful Hyderabad reminded maine of a celebrated couplet by Zauq wherever the Mughal writer wonders however religion tin beryllium equated with intoxicant consumption:

Zahid sharaab peene se kafir hua main kyun/
Kya dedh chullu bhar paani mein imaan beh gaya

(O zealot, however did I go a non-believer by drinking alcohol/ Did my religion drain distant with conscionable a fistful of water?)

suanshu.khurana@expressindia.com