“Baghi”

By: Jazzy B

Translated

“Shoot first, ask questions later.” Standing in the shooter’s position, an individual is safe. They assume that everyone that they encounter is hostile towards them, whether they know it or not- no need for questions now, just shoot. Now let’s examine this from the other perspective by standing in the shoes of the individual being shot at. They are not safe, ever. They are never asked what they did wrong, or if they did anything at all. All they know is that they are the target and will always be hunted and shot at. They are interrograted where they live, and if they have siblings. Why? So, the person behind the gun will know his next target. Now, imagine this saying being used and applied in real life… that there wasn’t just a person being shot at, but an entire group of people called Punjabis in seventh largest country in the world with the most populous democracy- India.

Historically speaking from a macro level, Punjabis have faced constant struggles of establishing their religious rights and identities since the 1500s, the time Sikhism was created. The Gurus from the 1500s up to the 1700s were constantly under religious oppression from Muslim converters and many of them were either imprisoned or killed. By the 1900s, the Indian independence movement from the British rule began where Punjabis were under 2% of the population in India, but made 70% of the sacrifice towards independence for India. After the partition of India into Pakistan and India in 1947, the Sikhs were still left without a means of political participation to voice their civic grievances. They were recruited by Hindu governmental officials into the Indian political infrastructure and used to serve the interests of the nation. They were excessively manipulated and mistreated by the Hindu majority. Punjabis had been promised Khalistan, a nation for Sikhs in the state of Punjab, which was not given to them and were labeled as Hindus.

From the very beginning of the music video, individuals can recognize different features from an objective angle that make the video distinct. The music itself is very foreign and when the singer begins to sing, it is in a different language, Punjabi. The target audience for this song is particularly Punjabi people as well as Sikhs in general. Because the target audience is Punjabi, they are able to understand the song better than other people along with the historical context that is presented within the song. For others listening and watching, the music video requires background familiarity with its subject matter. By making the language in Punjabi rather than in any other language, Jazzy B is able to appeal verbally to the Punjabi community immediately.

Jazzy B is presented as the rhetor. His role in developing the music video is through specific rhetorical appeals and through persuasion. He establishes his credibility, ethos, in the very beginning of the video by saying that he is also a Punjabi. Those that have seen Jazzy B know that he is a Punjabi Sikh even though he does not wear a turban. However, in the music video, he wears a turban out of respect, which is also very appealing to Punjabis because it shows that Jazzy B knows that the turban is part of the Sikh religion, that he is also Punjabi, and understands the oppression put on Punjabis and the suffering they still endure today. This presents him as a “credible and trustworthy person” (Zemliansky). He also establishes logos by referring to Punjabi ancestors, the gurus, and naming multiple Punjabi heroes from the 1800s to the present that have been martyred or put in jail and await the death penalty. By naming all of these people from different periods in history and providing “credible and appropriate facts,” Jazzy B demonstrates logos, or the “logical” part of his argument (Zemliansky). This not only shows logos but also adds on to Jazzy B’s credibility as well because he is so knowledgeable.

The music video has many visual components that also argue about the oppression of the Punjabis. Throughout the entire video, there is constant darkness and uneven, pointy mountains surrounding the singer followed by light out in the far distance or surrounding the pictures presented. According to Molly Bang, dark backgrounds “often symbolizes the unknown, and all our fears…” which does apply to the argument because Punjabis constantly lived and currently live in a world of turmoil and not knowing what is going to happen next. Paired with the uneven, pointy mountain, “we feel more scared looking at pointed shapes… pointy objects can easily pierce through… and kill us,” it shows the pain that Punjabis have gone through and the jabbing they have taken from all sides in India. However, when the pictures of revolutionaries and martyrs are portrayed, a light making them feel safer always surrounds them.

Jazzy B says in his music video, “Sach kade ni lukda bhaave jailan de vich dhak” meaning, and “truth cannot be hidden even when it is locked up in jails.” SADDA HAQ was finally released this year in 2013 overseas and in some parts of India because Sikhs fought against the Indian government. The Indian government believed that the movie would create disruption in the nation and that it was falsified to make the government look bad. The movie is based on a true story of a few men who are being held captive in jail and facing the death penalty today even though they have already served their 25-year sentences. However, the movie SADDA HAQ is not just a story of a few men, but in reality, of every Punjabi Sikh who lived in the time periods of 1947 to the early 1990s. Singers such as Jazzy B and others are trying to shed light on the atrocities committed against Punjabis in the past and in the present through music. The oppression of Punjabis is still at large in this time period and the acts from 1978-1984 have still not been recognized as Sikh genocide, but Punjabis will continue fighting for their rights and identities until justice is served.

Guru Dashmesh baghi

Guru Dashmesh is Guru Gobind Singh Ji. He was declared a rebel by the rulers of his time because he declared Khalsa. Khalsa translates into Soverign and free, genuine and pure. Once an individual becomes a member of the Khalsa they overcome the inside-evils and the shred weakness of the body, mind, and heart, and become brave as lions.

Nalua veer baghi

Hari Singh Nalua was a Sikh general in command and the only general EVER to conquer Afghanistan. No one has EVER before or since then been able to. He was considered a rebel

Sadda baghi a panth parivar lokon

All the people of the world, our community, and family are rebels

Sadda khoon baghi Saddi jaat baghi

Our blood is rebellious, our ancestral creed is of rebels (referring to the gurus)

Sadda baghiyan naal behar lokon

We conduct our affairs (dealings, business) with rebels

Baghi naal sada jamme baghiyan ne

We share our food and social aspects with rebels. "Jamme baghiyan" is cup of rebelliousness as if it was a wine

Te sadda baghiyan naal pyaar lokon

And our love is with rebels.

Oppression and Injustice: “Baghi”

Udham Singh baghi Bhagat Singh baghi

Both of these Udham Singh and Bhagat Singh were 1947 freedom fighters, Of course they were rebels of the oppressing british government.

Te sadda baghi saraba Kartar lokon

Bhai Kartar Singh Sarabaha was a Sikh revolutionary who was amongst the most famous accused in the Lahore conspiracy trial fighting for the government party. Kartar Singh was executed at Lahore and considered a rebel

Bhindranwala baghi Rajoana baghi Bhindranwala baghi Hawara Jagtar baghi

So all the people who the government of India has caputred or killed; they were considered heroes and freedom fighters

Te kampdi baghiyan ton sada sarkar loko

Now they are saying...now what happened? Same sikhs who fought for you are now making the government shake in their britches (shorts) as “terrorists or extremists / rebels”

A gal taan har koi janda ai Koman jundiyan naal kurbaniyan de

These facts are known to everyone that the only reason communities are alive today was because of/due to these sacrifices.

Moraan waliya apna haq lena Maan todh ke dusht abhimaniya de

Moraan waliya, an author, says We are taking what is right fully ours by crushing the ego of the evil egotistical ones.

Bhool naal qurbani da raah jehde O taan bhatkde bhatkde bhatk jaande

Those that forget gurbani as their guide those for sure start getting lost, lose their ways and lose their direction

An khi kade atkaiaan ni akk sakde Kuj dil atakde atakde atak jaande

There is no way they will get tired even if some hearts may get caught, get stuck, stop moving forward.

Johde (Warriors) Soorme (Braves) siran de karan sode, Phaansi latakde latakde latak jande

Warriors and Braves are cleared by the value of their heads, they were hung by the noose, hung by the noose (sorta means they do it with pride, willingly, with honor that their mission was success.)

Jado desh nu khoon di lodh pai gi Hami hass ke bhari punjabiyan ne

Whenever the country needed sacrifice / blood, punjabi people gladly accepted the challenge

Jado zulam di nadi vich taang aai Shaalan maar ke tari punjabiyan ne

Whenever the river of atrocities / crime against humanity overflowed, punjabi people jumped into it willingly to swim thru it.

Rjya kite sabbar jad bidmana Ladhi maut di bri punjabiyan ne

Fulfillment and contentment of bad times met when punjabi people married death itself as their glorified bride.

Chohan paasen ton kidho v aai goli Pehla hikk te jari punjabiyan ne

From any directions, from any of the four sides when a bullet was shot, it was happily accepted first and foremost on the chest of a brave punjabi. (This is referencing location of punjab also...border with china, pakistan, anyone that invaded india came thru punjab)

Khoon kholde jadd ankhaan de Te jad seene lagde takk Jad paani sir ton lang jaawe

Blood boils when eyes and hearts have to accept even when the water has crossed river boundaries and become a tusnami. (now they are talking about government going beyond their rights in treating the punjabi)

Pher chapna penda akk Sach kade ni lukda bhaave jailan de vich dhak

Then after getting tired of it all (more like sick of it all) truth has to be printed because truth cannot be hidden even when it is locked up in jails

Rajkakde lena onda Huh duniyan waleyo lena onda saanu sadda haq

We know how to take over ruling, yes people of the world, we know how to take what is rightfully ours!

The Khalistan Movement soon began in 1978, which the Indian Government saw as a direct threat and so in 1984, military operations were created and designed to destroy the entire Sikh race. Sikhs were automatically labeled rebels against the government, arrested, or killed. These years of genocide are still kept secret to this day and Sikhs are still locked up in jails. On a micro level, recently, Punjabi singers such as Jazzy B have started composing songs and music videos to create awareness and depict the atrocities committed upon Sikhs. Jazzy B’s 2013 “Baghi” music video uses different rhetorical appeals, both visually and verbally, to illustrate an overall message that Punjabi’s continuously face oppression with their individual rights and identities.

“Baghi,” is structured in a very specific way as well.From the verbal aspect of the song, Jazzy B structures the music video starting from the history of the Punjabis in the 1500s labeled rebels to famous Punjabi revolutionaries who helped India during the partition. Then, towards the end of the video, he sings about the present year of 2013 where now Punjabis are being held captive in jails and under the death penalty. He describes the oppression of Punjabis and after naming historical legends, he adds on the word baghi meaning rebel. The reason why Jazzy B does this is to emphasize the point that Punjabis were once considered martyrs and national heroes fighting for India’s rights but when it came to fighting for the right to be a Punjabi Sikh in India, they are considered rebels and terrorists. By being labeled rebels and terrorists, Punjabis identities are taken away from them and the oppression put upon Sikhs is never justified and continues forth.

Pathos, or the “level of emotional identification,” is used throughout the music video through imagery (Zemliansky). Emotions such as pain and anger are clearly shown through the images of fire, flashbacks of 1984 when Sikh cars are being burned, Punjabis being killed, handcuffed, hanged and the bloodshed of innocent lives being taken place. There are also feelings of strength and fortitude being portrayed through images of the fighting heroes, revolutionaries, Sikh marital arts known as gatka, lions, and the clenched fist. Jazzy B uses persuasive devices such as loaded words, which influence listeners by appealing to their emotions. He uses loaded words more throughout the middle of the music video to evoke feelings of empowerment such as “Soorme” (braves), “Johde” (warriors) who were hung till death and “proud” that they were fighting for their freedom of identity and rights. He also used words such as “atrocities / crime against humanity,” to express feelings of anger and portray the oppression and injustice committed onto Punjabis in the past and in the present. By using these rhetorical appeals and persuasive devices, Jazzy B is able to evoke an emotional response as well as receive credibility to the point he is trying to make about oppression among Punjabis.

One of the most important images being shown in the music video is the fist. It is the first actual image shown and is in the center of the video making it, as Molly Bang says, “the most effective” and “point of greatest attraction.” The raised fist not only represents the strength but also symbolizes resistance in the face of violence. This fist is also used in the movie SADDA HAQ (our right), a 2009 Punjabi movie based in the 1980's and early 1990's which portrays what prompted young men in India to rise up and fight against a corrupt police and government system. Jazzy B repeatedly shows scenes from this movie, which was banned in India, and supports his argument, that Punjabis still face oppression of their rights and identities in India today.

Works Cited

Bang, Molly. “Excerpts from ‘Picture This: How Pictures Work.’” Everything’s a Text. Eds. Dan Melzer and Deborah Coxwell-Teague. Boston: Rearson Education, Inc., 2011. 227-44.

B, Jazzy. “Baghi | Jazzy B | Full Official Music Video | Sadda Haq.” YouTube. 24 Mar. 2013. Web. 2 Nov. 2013

Zemliansky, Pavel. “Literacy Is Not Just Words Anymore.” Everything’s a Text. Eds. Dan Melzer and Deborah Coxwell-Teague. Boston: Rearson Education, Inc., 2011. 210-19.

Lyrics

Historical Context

Analysis

This is an image of the 10th guru, Guru Gobind Singh Jee who created Khalsa Panth in 1699.

This is an image of Bhai Mati Das Jee who while dying said, "I request only that my head be turned toward my Guru as I am executed." He was executed along with his two brothers for fighting for the freedom of religion for Hindus and Sikhs.

This is an image of three famous freedom fighters who fought against the British for the Hindu government in order to proclaim independence from Great Britain.

This is an image of three freedom fighters: Bhai Balwant Singh Jee Rajoana (left), Sant Jarnail Singh Jee Bhindrawale (center), and Bhai Jagtar Singh Jee Hawara (right). Sant Jarnail Singh Jee Bhindrawale was martyed in the 1984 attacks because he was considered an "extremist." The other two men are currently in jail for killing a man who killed over a thousand Sikhs. They have served their sentence but have not been released yet.

This is an image of Bhai Balwant Singh Jee Rajoana who is an accomplice to a crime but was charged with murder. He has already served his sentence but now the government says he should be hanged so he has now been put under death row and Sikhs in India are rioting and protesting against this.

This is an image of a representation of a singh fighting in battle against thousands of the Mughal Empire. It is suppose to represent the saying "ek sikh barabar sava lakh," which means one sikh is equal to 125,000 enemies. This saying was created by Guru Gobind Singh Jee.

This is an image of Bhai Jagtar Singh Jee Hawara who has been charged with murder. He has already served his sentence but now the government says he should be hanged so he has now been put under death row and Sikhs in India are rioting and protesting against this.

“Shoot first, ask questions later.”

This is an image of Punjab in regards to size location in India and Pakistan

This is an image of Punjab after the partition of 1947.

This is an image that is representing the current situation of Sikhs in India. Those who choose to speak out against the crimes committed upon Sikhs end up in jail with handcuffs

This is an image of a banner that was created last year in protest to Rajoana's death penalty sentence. #iPledgeOrange was a worldwide media campaign in which Sikhs united together in revolution to stop the hanging. Facebook and Twitter was filled with the color orange in order to represent the Khalsa colors. Sikhs from all over the globe were able to stop the hanging on the scheduled day. This campaign is still on-going today and recently started up again because some Sikhs have begun a hunger strike in order to free Sikhs who are unfairly being kept in jail that have served their sentence.

This is an image of the attack on the Golden Temple in 1984. The image shows the blood of Sikhs on the ground and falls of the temple and military who had just killed all these people.

This is an image of the most famous freedom fighter in the 1900s, Sant Jarnail Singh Jee Bhindrawale. He was an advocater of Sikhs and religious freedom. He was wrongfully accused of a crime that he did not commit which started his course of creating a revolution.

This is an image of the place where Sikhs were hanged

This is an image of Sikhs being burned alive in cars.

This is an image of a Sikh family and their burned down property. In the back, you can see military which did not do anything to help them.

This is an image of a banner that was created in regards to the ban of SADDA HAQ in India. It was shown across the globe nation wide except India.

This is an image of the movie SADDA HAQ which was banned in India

This is one of the most famous images from 1984 showing freedom fighters walking towards the Golden Temple on the day of Operation Blue Star knowing that they would most probably face death fighting the military. They were ready to defend the Sikhs and fight for religious freedom. #NeverForget1984