Recently, political parties across the spectrum in Punjab objected to the proposed release of a docuseries made on the life of a dreaded gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, named ‘Lawrence of Punjab’. The political parties objected to the title of the docuseries saying it related and identified Punjab with a gangster besides warning against promoting and glorifying the gangster culture.
The release of the docuseries was eventually stopped by the Government of India following these demands from across the state. This has reportedly infuriated the gang members who are alleged to have issued threats against all those who demanded ban on the docuseries.
Meanwhile, OTT platform ZEE 5, which was set to release the docuseries has announced that it will seek legal recourse. It has denied that the docuseries in any way promotes gangster culture or glorifies the gangster. This is a questionable claim. Otherwise, why would the gang be annoyed over the ban on it?
Lawrence Bishnoi came into prominence after his group owned the killing of famous Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. The Bishnoi gang accused him of being involved in the murder of one of their supporters Vicky Midhukhera. When Moosewala was assassinated, he was ranked among the top Punjabi rappers. His following on YouTube and other social media platforms runs into millions. His songs are still popular among the youngsters. The songs conveyed the message of rebellion.
Moosewala had also joined the Congress and unsuccessfully contested the 2022 assembly elections from Mansa. He was assassinated in a daring attack in his village on May 29, 2022. His security had partially been withdrawn along with many other political leaders. He still retained two Punjab Police cops. However, on that fateful day, he had not taken them along when he was killed.
Bishnoi gang was already one of the active gangs in Punjab before killing Moosewala. But after his killing there was the proverbial “no looking back”. The gang has been openly threatening Bollywood star Salman Khan for having killed blackbucks, which are held in divine respect by the Bishnoi community.
Bishnoi said it on record in a televised interview, which was mysteriously aired from inside the jail he was lodged in, that if Khan would apologise, he would be forgiven. A year ago, the Bishnoi gang was allegedly involved in the killing of Maharashtra politician Baba Sidique, who was close to Salman Khan and several other popular Bollywood stars.
During the last four years, since the killing of Moosewala, Bishnoi has emerged as a cult figure of the “underworld”. His gang’s foray into Mumbai, the capital of the underworld was surprising. Till now, Mumbai was considered to be fiefdom of the “traditional” gangsters. Killing of Baba Sidique gave his gang the recognition in Mumbai’s “crime world”.
Not just in Mumbai and Punjab, Bishnoi gang members, said to be around 700 in number, are believed to be active in North America and Middle East also. Canadian authorities have directly blamed his gang for various criminal activities, including extortion and killings on Canadian soil. The killing of Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada that led to a diplomatic impasse between India and Pakistan was also attributed to his gang.
Some opposition parties are alleging and questioning the “patronage” extended to Bishnoi by the Gujarat government. He is currently being held in Sabarmati Jail in Gujarat. After Sidhu Moosewala’s murder, he was taken into custody by the Punjab Police from the Tihar Jail, from where he allegedly masterminded the murder. Later, he was shifted back to Tihar.
Also read: Punjab Police seek ban on 'Lawrence of Punjab' series
Afterwards, he was arrested by Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad, in a case related to drug seizure there to which he was allegedly linked. He has been charged by the Gujarat Police under the severe NDPS and UAPA laws. He is detained in Sabarmati Jail. He cannot be taken out of Sabarmati Jail after the restriction imposed by the Union Home Ministry under Section 303 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), under which ‘high risk’ prisoners are barred from being taken out of the high security jail premises. This means he can only be questioned inside the Sabarmati Jail.
Like being in Tihar Jail did not stop or prevent him from allegedly masterminding Moosewala’s murder, the same way being in high security Sabarmati Jail has not restricted or restrained his “power and influence” in the “underworld”. Ideally, it should have been a great relief that a gangster like him was jailed in “far off” Gujarat in a high security prison. But that has not diminished his influence or cult. Since the underworld is as anarchic as it is unlawful, the criminals extensively use his name across Punjab in threatening people for ransom. Those who do not pay are first intimidated and in many cases eventually killed.
There is a genuine threat of “organised crime” across Punjab. That is the reason politicians across the board demanded banning of the docuseries which they feared will not only “legtimise” crime but also “promote and glorify” it among the young impressionable minds, who easily get fascinated and tempted towards “gun culture”.
It is an irony that Moosewala, who was accused of promoting gun culture in his songs, fell victim to the same “culture of violence”.
Punjab is already reeling under a serious problem of drug addiction. Despite stringent efforts by successive governments in last several years, the problem persists. It looks like a losing battle. Last year, a retired Director General of Punjab Police, who lost his son to drugs, revealed that despite holding such a powerful and influential position and being directly linked to law and order, he just “could not block” the supply of drugs to his son.
Drug addiction and gangster culture are two deadly and dangerous problems that Punjab is facing today. They actually pose an “existential” threat to the youth of Punjab. Anyone falling prey to any of these two scourges, has practically no chance of returning to a normal life. Thousands of lives have already been destroyed and as of now there seems to be no proverbial “ray of hope” anywhere around the horizon.
Lawrence Bishnoi is actually the symptom of the scourge and the tragedy Punjab today is afflicted with dangerously. Bishnoi came from a well-to-do family owning about 100 acres of land in Abohar district of Punjab. Ideally, he had no reason to stray into the culture of crime and violence. But, he did.
There are hundreds others across Punjab, who have also fallen prey to drugs and violence. And that is the tragedy that has struck Punjab today from which it needs to be redeemed. Merely banning the ‘Lawrence of Punjab’ will not help in redeeming Punjab. That may be a momentary palliative treatment of the symptom. The actual scourge is too deep and needs some radical surgery.
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