Explained: ‘Tibbeyan da putt’ and the Moosewala connection | Explained News,The Indian Express

Tributes to slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala refer to him as 'Tibbeyan da Putt'. What is the significance of the expression? And why is it a reference to his humble beginnings?

In the tributes pouring in for the Punjabi singer-politician Shubhdeep Singh alias Sidhu Moosewala (28) from across the world, after his cold-blood murder on May 29 shook Punjab, he is being widely called ‘Tibbeyan da Putt’. The expression now being used for the slain singer, however, has a deeper significance and connection with the geography, literature and music of Punjab – and is a symbol of struggle that people from these areas went through. The Indian Express explains:

The word ‘tibbe’ used both in Punjabi and Hindi primarily refers to sand dunes or hills, on a stretch of land that is not levelled.

In Punjab, the Malwa belt comprising south-western districts such as Bathinda, Mansa, Fazilka, Muktsar and some parts of Faridkot and Ferozepur – was once known for sand dunes or ‘ret ke tibbe’, due to the semi-arid and hot, desert-like climatic conditions. Due to less rainfall, uneven land, sandy soil and poor sources of irrigation, the land here was nearly infertile and except a few crops such as cotton, millets, sarson (mustard) and chickpea, nothing much was grown here. Farmers here had a tough life. These areas lacked development and even basic facilities.

“The entire stretch from Bathinda, Mansa to Fazilka, with proximity to Rajasthan and some parts of Haryana, was covered in sand dunes, even till four decades back. Agriculture here was difficult and life of people very tough. Even as wheat was grown in some pockets, paddy was negligible because there was no water and soil was sandy. So when we say ‘tibbeyan di dharti’ (the land of sand dunes), we primarily refer to Bathinda, Mansa and Fazilka in Punjab where life was hard even till a few decades back because land was not fertile. Even after the emergence of the Green Revolution, it took several years for proper canal water and other resources to reach these districts. Slowly and steadily, the land became cultivable but even now, few areas in Bathinda and Mansa still have tibbe,” says Jaswinder Singh Brar, plant protection officer, Moga.

Dr O P Chaudhary, head of soil science department, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), said that ‘tibbe’ or sand dunes leave the land undulating and the soil in these districts was sandy and coarse, making cultivation difficult. “Most areas were under brackish water and sandy soil. Farmers started flattening sand dunes and then water, better varieties of seeds, irrigation, fertilizers etc made land here cultivable,” he said.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/sidhu-moosewala-tibbeyan-da-putt-punjab-7952468/

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