Diljit Dosanjh defends ‘I’m an artist’ remark at Delhi show, says Punjabis need no lessons on fighting battles
New Delhi: As Diljit Dosanjh wrapped up his Aura India Tour concert at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, a laser display lit up the venue with two captions: “Main Hoon Punjab (I am Punjab)” and “I’m an artist.” The second line pointed straight at the remark that had drawn criticism towards him, and the singer-actor used the moment to respond to it.
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Speaking to the roaring crowd, Diljit said nobody understands standing up for a cause better than a Punjabi. “Punjabion ko naa sikhaao kaise ladayiaan ladi jaati hain (Do not teach Punjabis how to fight battles),” he said. He made it clear that his decision to stay away from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led student protest at first should not be read as a lack of resilience or courage. He ended with a message for everyone present: “I love you all.”
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How the ‘I’m an artist, bro’ row began
The controversy started during an Instagram Live session, where Diljit declined to comment on the CJP protest. He said he was unaware of the developments because of his busy Aura Tour schedule and repeated that he wanted to stay out of politics. The line “I’m an artist, bro” went viral and was widely seen as an attempt to distance himself from a politically sensitive issue. Several social media users criticised him, arguing that a public figure of his stature has a responsibility to speak up.
Diljit’s statement for the students
After the backlash, Diljit stated solidarity with the students. He pointed to the police action during the Jantar Mantar protest, said what happened was wrong and urged the authorities to address the protesters’ demands. “The voice of the people is the voice of God,” he added. He also recalled the criticism and legal hurdles he faced after backing the earlier farmers’ protest, when he was labelled “anti-national.”
The Devil music video
Diljit also touched on the same themes in his music video Devil. It shows him standing at the front of a massive crowd holding placards that read “Save Our Future” and “Our Future, Our Fight”. The protest-driven story ends in clashes with the police, before a young girl hands a white rose to an officer in a gesture of peace. Members of the Sikh community appear among the demonstrators in the video, which echoes the solidarity seen at the Jantar Mantar student protests earlier this year, when Sikh community members stood behind the students by providing meals, shelter and medical supplies.