(Now when the battle’s started,
Those who called you addicts salute you
Long live the youth!
All of Punjab is proud of you)
The song was released on YouTube on December 8, and in less than a week has already clocked over 1.8 million views. On stage, when Grewal performs with the song’s lyricist, Harf Cheema, they don’t need the dhol or any backup. Perhaps because there are no barricades between the singers and the audience it is meant for, the voices resonate.
“At Singhu, I feel I’m singing for my people, my Punjab, my desh, my heritage. Elsewhere, I sing because I’m obliged to entertain the audience,” Grewal says. “