For over 3 months, farmers have been in revolt. While it was a slow-starting, after two to three months, separate unions began marching towards Delhi. It wasn't just regular citizens, but also all of the Pollywood industry stand by them. By launching many tracks, they endorse them and inspired young people to take part in this demonstration.

Now where this agitation will go on for long, we spoke to Kanwar Grewal, the leading Punjabi singer-activist in the movement to catch the pulse of this intense tumult.

An exclusive interview with the singer by Roopam Singh.

Roopam Singh: Sat Sri Akal Kanwar Grewal Ji, Welcome to SantaBanta.com. We have heard that that currently you are in Chandigarh for your recording, on which new release are you working on?

Actually, when we see the faces of our elders there (at the Delhi border), they are fine but emotionally they are not. Sometimes while doing some work, they usually say that now they miss their farms as they are around 250-300 km away from their farms and houses. Because they miss the energy that they get while touching their soil. These things get settled in my mind. It's just two days since I have come here from Delhi. The song is about the conversation between a father and son regarding the fight between heart and mind. So, this is the concept of the track and it will be released this week.

You are a miracle artist in this protest, my aunt whose age is 85 is sitting in the protest and they all are singing your songs, the whole of Punjab is singing your songs, what is this magic?

Whenever there is agitation either it's against the government or with our own self so music acts as the bridge that can make you emotional, strong, and whatever feelings we have, it makes things meaningful. In this way, not only me but my other fellow artists also motivate the farmers with their performances, and it has mostly affected the youth. My genre is quite different, as the elderly also listen to my songs but other singers from the industry are successful to bring out the young generation from their houses to Delhi borders. It has generated a huge hope from Punjab's youngsters as they have learned how to be in a group. It's the first time we're getting contributions from our young people who are standing along with elders. Various singers and artists have done a really good role in this, I'm also among them but there are various singers who are ahead of me.

As a journalist, I don't agree with you. You are on the top because every release is a superhit. Harf Cheema and others are working as a team, but you are the clean motivator. How did you go so deep and high?

I have not done that much farming on my own but my grandfather and father have. So, I remember when I was a child I used to take lunch and tea for them on our farms. They eagerly waited for this as it's a kind of refreshment for them. I have never done farming but have witnessed everything that was going on in the farms and how our household expenses got managed after every six months of income. It's like our crops nurtured us. So now when we see that these crops are being snatched, our parents did not need to tell us to come and fight but it's our own conscience and voice that to stand by our elders in this agitation for our land, that too with pride and loyalty. I don't think there's any pressure on any singer, in fact, they all come by understanding their duty.



As we say this is revolutionary music, for how long have you been dedicated to the cause?

I have completed my Masters of Music in 2004 from Punjabi University, Patiala. After that, I worked there for around 2.5 to 3 years as a background music director and I was a permanent employee at the university. So, when I went to the Aashram along with my mother, I started Sufi singing. In 2013 my shows got started in Punjab and had started professional singing then there was no doubt that this is what I wanted to do. From the religious, political, and social point of view, I thought I should go with this genre. As there are various things that are positive and negative too in Punjab, I started talking about all such things in my songs. In mid 2014-2015, it became my passion to talk about these issues. So, when this agitation came, I thought it's time to sing social songs and I've been singing such tracks for the last 3-4 months.

When you go abroad for Sufi shows, do the audience easily relate to your music?

Even foreigners listen to Sufi songs, these days. Various Punjabi people work in Canada, America, Australia, New Zealand, or the UK, they work along while listening to songs on plug-in earphones. As many foreigners also work with them so they usually ask Indian friends what they always listen to. So, to explain, Punjabis tell them about me and the kind of things I talk about like love, togetherness, God. So, some of them get motivated to join the concert whenever I go there. As we say, music has no language so they also come to my shows. No doubt, I have started shows from England in 2014 and I have done 3-4 concerts everywhere, so I don't think that there was any shortage of appreciation even at that time even.

I am hesitant in asking you a political question as elders say that you look like Sant Jarnail Singh and that you have his spirit. Sometimes you put some clips of his in your videos. Don't you fear being branded as an anti-nationalist?

See if we fear to speak the truth and sing the truth, then we need to work harder. We can't be like him but we're his children. When I listen to their speeches and the way he held Sikhism, Hinduism, and Muslims too, and loved them all, I identify with him. Yes, various negative people have indeed portrayed his image like he only thought about Sikh people but when we listen to his tales from his colleagues, they get emotional and tell us that he always loved every religion. People who used to live under the shade of God, can't do partiality or can't divide people on the basis of religion. So, he was a person who loved everyone and I also love to portray his journey through my songs. We can't be like him for sure, because he used to worship God with full faith. We are shattered people right now and trying to collect ourselves but we love him.

Now what are you feeling? What direction is this protest taking? What do you want to convey to the public at this point?

The most positive thing I want to say is that every protest has its own milestone. This protest is now more than three months old in Punjab, so in this time duration, we didn't fall down and it just has been picking up in the graph since then. And the most important thing, people of our age, (I am 37 right now), we have witnessed such a big protest a very first time, it's been the biggest collaboration of every religion and there's nothing communal about it really. Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims... we are all farmers fighting for our rights. The next-level protest will definitely be a winning agitation for farmers because of the aura and energy that is created at Delhi borders. The central government can't demoralize these farmers. There can be a long wait but people there are sitting with patience and peacefully. And it's a very beautiful thing that also took this protest to another level. So, it might be possible to wait for months for the victory but we will win.

We heard today that around 50-60 people died due to the cold. When you listen to such news how do you feel?

Actually, such things have two different perspectives. One is emotional about why these things are happening as our family members are sitting there in the cold and it's normal to feel like that because we're humans. But on the other side, we should not forget that it's a protest and we are fighting for our rights. It's a war of our thoughts, not of weapons. So, when we fight like this, we should be proud of such martyrs. One statement is that you're like my mother and when a son is talking to his mother, we also have a limited time to live and everyone has a fixed time to leave this world. But still, we're emotionally attached to each other, and importantly, to get martyred in this protest are getting their names in the history of the world. We are proud of them and ourselves.

Thank you Kanwar Grewal, that this awakening is coming to us who live in urban areas, but by listening to your songs, watching your social media, we're getting information about our farmers and we're with you. And we'll wait for your next song very enthusiastically, so when will it be released? And, what is the name of the song?

We'll release this song on January 6. It is a song called 'Bebe Bapu Da Khayal'

Can you sing two lines of it?

Sure. Let me tell you about the track first. When we see Tikri or Singhu Borders, it appears like a small village and there's only one house and everyone (around 1-2 lakh people) is living in this house. They all are members of my family so there, I usually convey to the youngsters that our first responsibility is sure to fight against the laws, no doubt but also have to take care of our elders, either it's our grand-parents or parents. So, the song is about this situation.

Many thanks to you for these beautiful words and Sat Sri Akal.