Politics is intensifying in Punjab regarding the film ‘Sutlej’. Now Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal has announced on Wednesday that his party will show the film ‘Sutlej’ based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra in every village and corner of Punjab.
The film, which was earlier titled “Punjab ’95” and tells the story of activist Khalra’s life during the turbulent 1990s – when the state was grappling with incidents of terrorism – was released uncut on ZEE5 on July 3 as ‘Sutlej’.
Film removed after 2 days of coming on OTT
However, this film, which was stuck with the Censor Board for more than 3 years, was removed from the platform after just 2 days, on 5th July. But even after being removed from OTT, at some places in Punjab, Sikh religious groups and other organizations have started showing this film publicly in Gurudwaras and village grounds.
Now Akali leader Sukhbir Singh Badal has also announced to show this film. Badal said in a post in Punjabi language on social media platform
Being prevented from telling about the massacre: Badal
Former Deputy Chief Minister Badal further said in the post that the film tells the truth of that painful period which did not stop even after the “military attack” on Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) and the burning alive of thousands of unarmed innocent Sikh youth, women, elderly and children in Delhi and other cities (anti-Sikh riots of 84).
He further said, “Thousands of Sikh youth protesting against this heart-wrenching massacre in Punjab were martyred by the ruthless Congress government in fake police encounters.” “Now the country is being prevented from even telling the history of that painful massacre. But Shiromani Akali Dal will never allow this to happen.”
Center has no hand in removing it from OTT: Bittu
On this issue, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, who has connections with Punjab, termed as completely baseless the allegations made by some leaders of opposition parties that BJP or the Central Government had a hand in removing the film from the OTT platform ZEE5. The minister is the grandson of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, who was assassinated in 1995.
Bittu said that it is important to understand this matter in the right context. The events shown in the film are from the era when Congress was in power both in Punjab and at the Centre. Therefore, any attempt to hold BJP responsible for the film or the events related to that period depicted in it is politically motivated and is completely wrong on the facts.
BJP’s 3-member review committee
Earlier, Punjab BJP said on Tuesday that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has formed a review committee of 3 members to investigate the issue of removal of actor and singer Diljit Dosanjh’s film “Sutlej” from the OTT platform. The party said in a statement that this step of the central government was taken on the appeal of state party president Kewal Singh Dhillon.
However, many political parties and Sikh organizations in Punjab targeted and strongly criticized the removal of the film “Sutlej” from the OTT platform. He said the film forces India to confront one of the state’s “darkest chapters” and that history should be faced honestly, not suppressed or hidden through censorship.
Whose story is in the film ‘Sutlej’
The film “Sutlej” has been made under the direction of Honey Trehan, which is based on the life of Khalra. Khalra had investigated the cremations of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab in the 10 years between 1984 and 1994. But in the year 1995 he suddenly went missing.
Then about 10 years later in 2005, four Punjab Police personnel were convicted of her kidnapping and murder and sentenced to 7 years in jail. Two years later, the Punjab and Haryana High Court increased his sentence to life imprisonment.
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