Satluj Public Screenings, Seminars To Be Organised By Sikh Body To Oppose Film Ban: Reports

Satluj’s

removal from ZEE5 after a few hours of OTT release indeed left the Sikh community angry and disappointed. The Ministry of Information and Broadcast has already formed an intradepartmental committee to examine the content of the Diljit Dosanjh starrer. Amidst all, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has strongly opposed the film’s removal. They called it an attempt to suppress the story of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. To show support for the film, the committee has planned to organise public screenings of Satluj and hold seminars across various educational institutes to ensure Khalra’s story continues to reach people despite the ban.

Sikh Body Opposes Satluj Ban

For the unversed, Satluj was removed from the OTT platform after the orders from the I&B Ministry. The officials claimed that Satluj was released on OTT without a required certification for a theatrical release. Earlier titled Panjab 95, the officials claimed that the makers changed the title and sent it for streaming. According to them, the release violated the provisions of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. Coming back to the Sikh body’s action, the DSGMC president Harmeet Singh Kalka issued a statement with the media, in which he mentioned that preventing people from watching the film is an attempt to erase an important chapter of Punjab’s history. Kalka said the film is a biopic of Jaswant Singh Khalra. It shows how a social activist opened people’s eyes to the truth. According to Kalka, Jaswant uncovered the evidence of 25,000 bodies that had been cremated as ‘unclaimed’. He stated, “Suppressing this story and 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 further revealed that they have instructed the members of its Gurdwara committees to download and screen the film in their respective localities. Moreover, the Sikh body would also conduct a meeting with the heads of educational institutions run by the DSGMC to organise seminars on Jaswant Singh Khalra’s life and legacy. The Sikh body’s president concluded his statement by saying, “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.” The move might make Satluj makers happy.

What Is Satluj Controversy?

Based on Jaswant Singh Khalra’s life, Satluj shows how the human rights activist collected evidence behind the abduction and murder of over 25000 people in Tarn Taran, Punjab, after the assassination of former PM Indira Gandhi. In 1995, Khalra reportedly got abducted and killed. The CBFC had asked the makers of Satluj to make 127 cuts in the film. But director Honey Trehan refused to do it. After the delay of 3 years, the makers released Satluj silently on the OTT platform. Satluj also stars Arjun Rampal, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya in pivotal roles.