Sidhu Moosewala’s Death and the Contemporary State of Punjab Politics
Words by Manjot Kaur
Welcome to the Brown History Newsletter. If you’re enjoying this labour of love, please do consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your contribution would help pay the writers and illustrators and support this weekly publication. If you like to submit a writing piece, please send me a pitch by email at brownhistory1947@gmail.com. Check out our Shop and our Podcast. You can also follow us on Instagram and Twitter.
Sidhu Moosewala’s Death and the Contemporary State of Punjab Politics by Manjot Kaur
A political rapper was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting at the age of twenty-five - this could only bring one name to anyone’s mind - Tupac Amaru Shakur. However, so too was the Punjabi Sikh political rapper Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu (known as Sidhu Moosewala) was also killed in a similar fashion. Moosewala idolized Tupac Shakur throughout his life and even had this vision of leaving behind a similar impact as Tupac did through his music. Moosewala was shrouded in controversy due to how his songs were framed, as the media spun narratives about the use of guns and violence in his music. Yet, the reality was much different. When asked in an interview if he felt that his music might hurt the Punjabi youth, he shook his head and said, “I have never glorified drugs or degraded women in my songs.”
The murder of Sidhu Moosewala has deep political roots in Punjab, as statistically, there have been only four hundred armed-related cases in Punjab since 2016. Punjab’s more significant issue is drugs, as statistics say that 1.2% of Punjab's population is going through substance abuse. Every other Punjabi singer is known for glorifying Opium (feem), Marijuana (weed), and Alcohol (daaru). These substances have devastated Punjab and have set the state quite far back in terms of progress, growth, and development. Even during elections, politicians are notoriously known for distributing alcohol for votes. This article explores the glamorous life lived and events that led to the death of Sidhu Moosewala, as well as a discussion about the contemporary state of Punjab politics.