The removal of Diljit Dosanjh-starrer “Satluj” — a movie depicting the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra — from ZEE5 has ignited a debate in Punjab with several leaders condemning the move, questioning “who is afraid of facing the state’s history”, and others terming the decision apt.
While the government has justified the removal of the film from the OTT platform, saying there were “concerns that it could be exploited to draw support for the pro-Khalistan movement ahead of the Punjab elections”, the state’s polity and other prominent persons think otherwise.
The movie, originally titled “Punjab 95”, was released on ZEE5 on Friday and was withdrawn on Sunday night. In Punjab, the film got a lot of traction for its portrayal of the events in the 1980s and 1990s, when the state faced terrorism.
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal condemned the move to remove the film from the OTT platform, saying it was not censorship “…but an assault on our collective memory, truth and freedom of expression”.
Aam Aadmi Party’s Anandpur Sahib MP Malwinder Kang, who was among the first to react on the issue, said it was shocking. “When a nation begins to fear its own history, censorship becomes its most dangerous weapon. I unequivocally condemn the unexplained removal of “Satluj” from ZEE5. A film that compels India to confront one of Punjab’s darkest chapters and portrays the alleged human rights violations of the 1980s-90s — brought to light through the struggle of Khalra — has suddenly been made unavailable without any transparent explanation… When a film raises uncomfortable questions about human rights violations and atrocities in Punjab, it disappears from an OTT platform. Why? Who is afraid of Punjab’s truth,” he asked. AAP chief spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said the “Congress-BJP nexus” was behind the decision to remove the film.
Eminent criminal lawyer and former Advocate General of Punjab RS Cheema told The Tribune that the Khalra case had been decided by the Supreme Court and it recorded that Khalra was a human rights activist, assassinated by some police officers. “What is wrong with depicting this in a film,” he asked.
However, Hindu leaders in the state say that while they believe in free flow of creative expression on historical events, the dark events of Punjab’s history are meant to learn lessons from and not to be used as propaganda to arouse sentiments, especially in a politically charged atmosphere with the elections round the corner. Veteran BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia said the film showcased the darkest side of Punjab history, which everyone wanted to bury. “We only want to remind ourselves of this past so that it’s never repeated. Peace has been earned with great difficulty in Punjab. Such films rip open old wounds and are best avoided,” he said.
Espousing similar views, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, former minister and senior Hindu leader from the Congress, said such films had the tendency to disturb peace and communal harmony. “It’s for every one’s good that the movie has been withdrawn,” he said.
