Complaint filed against Sidhu Moosewala's parents over toddler's gun gestures at Toronto concert
A human rights group says the two-year-old's actions on stage could normalize violence and has called for an inquiry and parental counselling.
MANSA — A human rights organization has filed a complaint with authorities in Punjab against the parents of slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala after their two-year-old son made gun-firing gestures on stage during a concert in Toronto.
Lawyers for Human Rights International submitted the complaint to the Mansa deputy commissioner and District Child Protection Unit on Oct. 17, seeking an inquiry and counselling for parents Balkaur Singh and Charan Kaur.
The complaint concerns an incident during the opening show of the 'Signed to God World Tour' hologram concert at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena on Oct. 9.
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Videos widely shared on social media show the toddler, popularly known as 'Chhota Sidhu' or 'Nikka Sidhu', making a pistol-firing gesture with his hand while mimicking gunfire sounds of "tha tha tha". He also performed the thigh-slap gesture, or 'thaapi', associated with his late brother.
Advocate Navkiran Singh, general secretary of Lawyers for Human Rights International, said the organization feels the child needs to be kept away from violence and his parents need counselling.
"The use of 'Chhota Sidhu' a 2.5 year old child on the stage of Toronto Canada recently where he has been shown to be imitating his slain brother by doing gestures of firing with a firearm according to us is not in the interest of the child and his parents need to be restrained from abusing his age and mental state," Singh said.
The complaint alleges the parents "abused the child's age and mental state" during the event and calls for them to be directed not to teach, encourage or permit the child to enact gunfire or violent gestures in public or otherwise.
It argues that when a child so young is encouraged to enact gunfire and is rewarded with applause, he learns to associate violence with approval.
"Such conduct may normalise violence in the child's mind before he is capable of understanding it," the complaint reads.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Navkiran Singh described the parents' actions as "atrocious".
"They need to understand that their younger son is a separate individual who has just begun his life," he said. "The Indian law clearly states that when the child is a minor, and parents fail to provide him an upbringing in a conducive environment, then the government authorities have the legal right to intervene."
The complaint seeks action under the Juvenile Justice Act and asks that the matter be placed before a Child Welfare Committee. It states the objective is guidance and counselling, not immediate punitive measures, but notes continued non-compliance could attract penalties including imprisonment or loss of custody.
Balkaur Singh did not respond to calls and messages regarding the matter.
However, the family's advocate, Gurvinder Singh Sandhu, countered the allegations.
"We will respond with a formal reply as soon as we receive any such notice or official complaint from a government authority," Sandhu said. "The complainant cannot question the upbringing parents give their child based on one video clip. No one other than the parents knows better how their child has to be raised."
Sandhu argued that human rights bodies should focus on other cases rather than seeking publicity through high-profile matters. He said subjecting a young child to legal scrutiny over a single event was inappropriate.
Mansa Deputy Commissioner Navjot Kaur said she had not yet verified whether her office had received the formal complaint. District Child Protection Officer Jagtar Singh said he would check on Monday.
Moosewala's parents and his younger brother are currently abroad for the hologram tour.
The singer, whose real name was Shubhdeep Singh, was shot dead in Punjab's Mansa district on May 29, 2022. His parents welcomed their second child, also named Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, through in-vitro fertilization in March 2024.
With files from The Indian Express, The Tribune and The Statesman
Isabelle Moreau is the editor of Novello Desserts and writes about family life and everyday living in Canada. The editor signs off on corrections and editorial standards.