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Indian rapper Sidhu Moose Wala's song 'SYL' pulled from YouTube in India

Indian rapper Sidhu Moose Wala's song 'SYL' pulled from YouTube in India

The song touches on sensitive topics such as the deadly riots targeting the Sikh community in India in 1984.
28 Jun, 2022

YouTube has removed a viral music video in India released posthumously by murdered Sikh rapper Sidhu Moose Wala following a complaint by the government.

The song 'SYL' talks about the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal which has been at the centre of a long-running water dispute between the late Sikh rapper's home state of Punjab and neighbouring Haryana.

The track, released posthumously on Thursday, also touches on other sensitive topics such as deadly riots targeting the Sikh community that broke out in India in 1984 and the storming of an important Sikh temple in Amritsar by the army the same year.

It had garnered nearly 30 million views and 3.3 million likes on the singer's YouTube page before it was pulled down over the weekend.

"This content is not available on this country domain due to a legal complaint from the government," said a message posted on the song link.

The song is still available in other countries.

In an email to AFP, a YouTube spokesperson said it had only removed the song in "keeping with local laws and our Terms of Service after a thorough review".

The government did not immediately respond to enquiries.

Moose Wala's family termed the removal of the song "unjust" and appealed to the government to take back the complaint, local media reports said.

"They can ban the song but they cannot take Sidhu out of the hearts of the people. We will discuss legal options with lawyers," uncle Chamkaur Singh was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times daily.

Moose Wala — also known by his birth name Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu — was shot dead in his car in the northern state of Punjab last month.

The 28-year-old was a popular musician both in India and among Punjabi communities abroad, especially in Canada and Britain.

His death sparked anger and outrage from fans from across the world.

Last week, Indian police arrested three men accused of murdering Moose Wala and seized a cache of weaponry including a grenade launcher.

The men had allegedly acted at the behest of Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar and his accomplice Lawrence Bishnoi who is currently in jail in India.

Moose Wala rose to fame with catchy songs that attacked rival rappers and politicians, portraying himself as a man who fought for his community's pride, delivered justice and gunned down enemies.

He was criticised for promoting gun culture through his music videos, in which he regularly posed with firearms.

His murder also put the spotlight on organised crime in Punjab, a major transit route for drugs entering India from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Many observers link the narcotics trade — mostly heroin and opium — to an uptick in gang-related violence and the use of illegal arms in the state.

Comments

TPA Jun 28, 2022 11:03am
Indian authorities did the right thing. Good move.
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Gokboru Jun 28, 2022 11:12am
India trying its best to erase history. Sikhs will never forget the 1984 massacres. Khalistan will be a reality one day.
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Ravi Sharna Jun 28, 2022 11:17am
Before Pakistanis comment in favour of ‘rights to speech’, please remember M Pashteen, Asad Toor, Hamid Mir, Durani, Sajid Hussain, Umer Cheema, Taha Siddiqui, Matiullah Jan, Aisha Sidiqui, GulBukhari, Cyril Almeida... it goes on.
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Uturn Jun 28, 2022 11:46am
"His murder also put the spotlight on organised crime in Punjab, a major transit route for drugs entering India from Afghanistan and Pakistan." This is wrong and should be condemned.
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Ahmad Jun 28, 2022 11:46am
Shame on India, BJP and Modi.
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Bally Jun 28, 2022 12:13pm
Rights of Punjab are oppressed by the Indian State.
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Rohit Jun 28, 2022 12:26pm
Irony is that he joined to the same political party that caused the riots.. He was a rabble rouser, nothing else. good beats, music ,but lyrics always misogynic and provocative.
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Alishba Jun 28, 2022 12:34pm
The song was banned as it talks about dam dispute between Punjab and Haryana. No one wants law and order issue when dam is built.
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Ijaz Jun 28, 2022 01:26pm
The world's biggest democracy showing its true colours
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Daredevil Jun 28, 2022 03:07pm
They can't compete with you so they pull you out of the path.
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Truth be told Jun 28, 2022 03:54pm
YouTube doesn't cater to our demands so quickly, does it?
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Agrippa-the Skeptic Jun 29, 2022 11:58pm
@Ahmad, … please remember M Pashteen, Asad Toor, Hamid Mir, Durani, Sajid Hussain, Umer Cheema, Taha Siddiqui, Matiullah Jan, Aisha Sidiqui, GulBukhari, Cyril Almeida … . Shame on whom?
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Chota Jun 30, 2022 09:09am
Dear indians Whole world knows your reality whatever you write here or show on media.Good luck
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