Sidhu Moosewala’s posthumous song ‘SYL’ has been banned in India and removed from the video streaming platform YouTube. The decision to remove the song from the Indian domain was taken following a complaint from the union government.
“The content is not available on this country domain due to a legal complaint from the government,” reads the song’s YouTube link in India.
‘SYL’ was released last week on June 23, 2022, and became an instant hit on YouTube, garnering over one million views within an hour. Media reports claim the song gathered 2.7 crore views until its removal from the channel.
The song raises multiple issues, such as the under-construction Sutluj-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, Sikh prisoners, militancy, and the recent agitation against the farm laws. It also includes some shots of the 1984 riots.
A YouTube spokesperson said: “We have clear policies for removal requests from governments around the world. We review government removal requests when notified through the correct legal processes and also review content for violations of our Community Guidelines. And, where appropriate, we restrict or remove the content in keeping with local laws and our Terms of Service after a thorough review. All of these requests are tracked and included in our Transparency Report.”
Sidhu Moosewala was assassinated on May 29, 2022, in the Mansa district of Punjab. The slain singer wrote, sang, and composed the controversial song.
