The release and subsequent takedown of Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Satluj has once again put the spotlight on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. The Centre directed OTT platform ZEE5 to take down the film, citing security concerns. As the controversy over its removal intensifies, Sikh bodies have condemned the move, demanding its restoration and arguing that history cannot be erased through censorship.
Sikh body slams removal of Satluj
The matter quickly gained political traction, with Kulwant Singh Manan, chief secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), condemning the removal.
“What is wrong if reality is shown and the public comes to know what happened during those days in Punjab?” Manan told PTI.
Condemning the “arbitrary removal” of the film, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said, “Efforts to hide the government atrocities committed against Sikhs can never be successful. Today, the honourable courts are punishing the police officers of that time. How can anyone turn their back on these decisions of the courts?”
He asserted that the pages of history cannot be erased, nor can the truth be silenced through any ban. He said justice-loving people across the world, including those in Punjab, have every right to know, understand, and learn from their history. The SGPC president demanded the immediate lifting of all bans on the film, allowing people to understand this significant chapter of history for themselves.
“After the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the police tortured and killed thousands of innocent youths and cremated their bodies by claiming they were unclaimed. Khalra dedicated his life to bringing that painful period of Punjab’s history to the world. Through his efforts, thousands of families found hope for justice for their young sons who had gone missing. The sad part is that Khalra, who was the hope of the people, was also brutally killed by the police,” Dhami said.
About the Satluj controversy
Directed by Honey Trehan, the film, originally titled Punjab ’95, features Diljit Dosanjh as human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who was abducted in 1995 and was never seen again. The director and actor refused to release the film with the 127 cuts suggested by the Central Board of Film Certification.
On Friday, the film quietly arrived on ZEE5 without any cuts, but with a different title and no promotions. However, it was taken down soon after. As the released version was downloaded and circulated online, ZEE5 urged audiences to refrain from piracy and assured them that it is making every effort to bring the film back.