The DSGMC has objected to the removal of Diljit Dosanjh’s film ‘Satluj’ from ZEE5. Based on activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, the committee says its removal suppresses truth and has announced public screenings and seminars to raise awareness.
‘Attempt to suppress truth’
Speaking on the issue, DSGMC President Harmeet Singh Kalka said the film, based on the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra, highlights the activist’s efforts to uncover alleged human rights violations in Punjab and should not be prevented from reaching audiences. “…Since this film is a biographical portrayal of Jaswant Singh Khalra, it depicts how a social activist opened people’s eyes to the truth. He uncovered evidence of 25,000 bodies that had been cremated as ‘unclaimed’ and raised the issue not only within the country but also internationally, highlighting the dire situation in Punjab. Suppressing this story, preventing the events of that dark era from reaching the public, is deeply wrong, and it has sparked immense outrage across the Sikh community,” Kalka said.
DSGMC to hold public screenings, seminars
Announcing the committee’s next steps, Kalka said DSGMC would organise screenings of the film and hold seminars in educational institutions on Khalra’s life and work. “We have asked all Gurdwara committee members to download and screen the film in their respective areas to ensure that it reaches the public. Furthermore, we will soon convene a meeting with the chairpersons of our schools and colleges. Seminars on Jaswant Singh Khalra will be organised in every college to discuss his life and legacy. We want people to realise the impact a single social activist can have on society. If one individual can achieve so much, there is no reason why we cannot all work together to do the same,” he added.
‘Film is based on facts’
DSGMC General Secretary and Legal Head Jagdip Singh Kahlon also criticised the film’s removal, stating that it had been available on ZEE5 for only two days before being taken down. “When this film was originally made, it was titled ‘Punjab ’95’. However, its release was subsequently halted. Then, two days ago, it was released on the ZEE5 OTT platform under the title ‘Satluj’, and many people watched it. I watched it as well. Everything depicted in the film is based on facts and actual events,” Kahlon said.
He said the film focuses on Jaswant Singh Khalra’s investigation into alleged fake encounters and urged that it be allowed to reach audiences. “It centres on Jaswant Singh Khalra, a social activist who conducted a thorough investigation and compiled data regarding people who were killed in fake encounters across various locations. The film is based on these facts and historical events. Given that it was taken down after just two days, I believe there is significant resentment within the Sikh community. The film ought to be shown. If the Central Government is responsible for halting it, I would appeal to the Government to allow its release, keeping the sentiments of the Sikh community in mind. Community members are also planning screenings,” he said.
Kahlon further asserted that the film depicts real events and that the public should be aware of them. “There is nothing in the film that deviates from reality; it portrays actual events. People need to know what happened and how these incidents unfolded. The community certainly deserves to be informed,” he added.
Who was Jaswant Singh Khalra?
The film is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra from Punjab, who exposed alleged illegal killings and secret cremations during the late 1980s and early 1990s when Punjab witnessed intense militancy and counter-insurgency operations. Khalra himself was ‘disappeared’ in 1995, and his body was found near the Harike Bridge on the Sutlej River.He was allegedly kidnapped, tortured and killed at the behest of the then-Punjab Police officials.
The Supreme Court in 1996 ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe in the case on a petition filed by Khalra’s widow.The CBI found evidence that he was held at a police station in Tarn Taran and recommended the prosecution of nine Punjab police officials for his murder and kidnapping.
A Patiala court in 2005 convicted six policemen, while in 2007, the Punjab and Haryana High Court extended life imprisonment to four of the accused.The verdict was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2011.
About the film ‘Satluj’
Helmed by Honey Trehan, produced by RSVP and MacGuffin Pictures, ‘Satluj’ also starred Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky, and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)