Punjabi singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh’s New Year’s Day meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi has drawn sharp criticism from farmer leaders, who question his dedication to their ongoing protests.
In 2020, Dosanjh was a vocal supporter of the farmers’ protests at the Singhu border, urging the government to address their demands. However, his recent engagement with the Prime Minister has led to disappointment among the farming community. One farmer leader at the Shambu border expressed, “If Diljit truly cared about farmers, he would have come and joined us in solidarity. Instead, meeting PM Modi raises doubts about his intentions.”
During their meeting, Prime Minister Modi praised Dosanjh’s rise from humble beginnings to international stardom, stating, “When a boy from a small village in ‘Hindustan’ shines on the global stage, it feels amazing.” Dosanjh reciprocated the admiration, reflecting on Modi’s personal journey and expressing his appreciation.
The farmers’ protests continue, with leaders like Jagjit Singh Dallewal, convener of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), engaging in hunger strikes to press for demands such as a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops. Thousands have gathered at protest sites like the Khanauri border to support these efforts.
Dosanjh’s meeting with the Prime Minister has sparked a debate about the role of public figures in social movements and their responsibilities toward the causes they endorse.
