Popular Punjabi singer Gurdas Maan’s new song, ‘Punjab’, has evoked a mixed response on social media. The number, which highlights the state’s plight, has got millions of views on YouTube and other online platforms, but it also has its share of critics, especially Punjabis.
In the video, Maan, playing the role of Time, takes Shaheed Bhagat Singh from 1917 to present-day Punjab, where drug abuse is rampant, crimes against women go unpunished and agriculture is in dire straits.
A section of the viewers says the song should have been released before the elections, when these issues were being raised by various political parties.
A poem Vaqt and Bhagat Singh posted on YouTube reads: “Ik geet sunawanga votan de magron, Punjab jagawanga votan de magron (Will sing a song after the elections, will awaken Punjab after the elections).”
Maan is being mocked for depicting liquor as a social evil, with viewers pointing out that he had glorified it in one of his earlier songs,
“Aapna Punjab hove, ghar di sharaab hove…”
The video has also been criticised for covering 100 years of Punjab’s history without highlighting major events such as Partition and Operation Bluestar.
According to some viewers, the song conveys a powerful message and shows Maan’s deep concern for the state.