Deep Sidhu Dies in Accident: He Wanted Farmers Protest To Lead to Larger Change

Deep Sidhu died in a road accident near Sonepat at around 9 pm on 15 February.

Punjabi actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, who came in the limelight following the Republic Day violence at Delhi's Red Fort last year, has died in a road accident near Sonepat on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal highway at around 9 pm on Tuesday, 15 February. The police has claimed that Sidhu's jeep rammed into a parked truck.

Sidhu was 42.

An important part of the farmers' protest against the Narendra Modi government's farm laws, Sidhu was arrested in connection with the violence that took place at Red Fort on 26 January 2021.

A Model, a Lawyer, and an Actor

Deep Sidhu was born in a Sikh family in Punjab's Sri Muktsar Sahib district, his driving licence lists his year of birth as 1979. His early schooling was said to have been in Punjab. He later studied law and briefly took to modelling, participating in the Kingfisher Model Hunt and Grasim Mr India contest, and winning in a few categories.

But modelling didn't appeal to him and he went back to law, working with British firm Hammonds and then a number of production houses like Disney, Sony Pictures, and Balaji. His longest legal stint is said to have been with Balaji.

Though acting offers did come his way, he finally began his acting career at the age of 31 with a Punjabi film called Ramta Jogi, produced by actor Dharmendra's Vijayta Films.

However, the film for which Sidhu became most famous was Jora 10 Numbaria (2017), in which Sidhu plays a righteous gangster wronged by the system.

Part of Farmers' Protest, Arrested in Red Fort Case

Deep Sidhu became part of the farmers' protest much before the protesters came to Delhi – and played a key role in mobilising the youth. He was a leading part of the Shambhu Morcha or the sit-in protest at the Shambhu Barrier between Punjab and Haryana.

Many artists from Punjab would come and go at the protest site but Sidhu remained there for over two months.

Due to his disagreements with the farm unions, some of them accused him of being an agent of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). These allegations resurfaced after the Red Fort violence.

However, barring his one-time proximity to Dharmendra and Sunny Deol, not much was presented as proof for it. There was also a picture with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that was apparently taken during Deol's election campaign.

Deep Sidhu was present at the spot when the Nishan Sahib was hoisted on an empty pole at the Red Fort on 26 January 2021. He was arrested on 9 February. After over two months in custody, he was released on bail in April 2021.

He Wanted a Larger Change in Punjab

A significant aspect of Sidhu's view of the farmers' protest was that he wanted it to lead to larger political change in Punjab – and not just the repeal of the farm laws.

In his speeches at Shambhu, he had said, "The aim shouldn't be to gain concessions but to change the entire power equation".

He extensively used imagery from Sikh history in his speeches and spoke about federalism and rights of minorities in India.

While some of those who were part of the protest along with Sidhu – such as Lakha Sidhana – joined politics along with Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal) chief Balbir Singh Rajewal, Sidhu didn't become part of any political party.

However, during the ongoing Assembly elections in Punjab, Sidhu campaigned extensively for Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) chief Simranjit Singh Mann, addressing a number of public meetings in Amargarh, from where Mann is contesting.