A complaint has been filed with Punjab’s District Child Protection Unit regarding a gesture made by the late Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala’s brother, a two-and-a-half-year-old Sukhdeep Singh Sidhu, during a stage performance in Canada, according to reports.
The child was brought onstage during the opening show of the "Sign to God World Tour" in Toronto, Canada, on October 9. The kid took to the stage along with his parents, Balkaur Singh and Charan Kaur. Footage of the video shows the boy imitating Moosewala’s famous “thaapi gesture”, the iconic thigh-slap gesture synonymous with his stage persona, drawing loud cheers from the audience.
However, the child also allegedly made gunshot-like gestures and mimicked its noise while those around him encouraged him.
The Toronto show was the first of the "Signed to God World Tour." It recreated the experience of Moosewala’s performance using 3D holographic projections, the singer's recorded voice, visuals, and stage effects.
According to the Lawyers for Human Rights International, which filed the complaint with the Mansa Deputy Commissioner and the District Child Protection Unit, an investigation was necessary into the mental health of the child.
The video quickly went viral on social media. The organisation also cited another video, which it claims shows adults teaching or encouraging the child to make the pistol-like gesture.
The complaint, filed on October 17 through the organisation’s general secretary and lawyer, Navkiran Singh, expresses concern that the child's public gesture imitating gun violence needed intervention under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, including counselling for the parents.
The organisation argues that repeatedly viewing violent images at a young age can impact a child's development, normalising violent behaviour. This is especially important because his older brother, Sidhu Moosewala, was shot dead near Jawaharke village in Mansa district on May 29, 2022. The organisation's primary concern is that the child is being taught, encouraged, or allowed to engage in shootings or other violent acts.
The organisation states that its primary objective is to protect the welfare and safety of the child, not to punish anyone or change the custody of the child.
