The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has demanded to stop the release of BJP MP from Mandi, Himachal and actress Kangana Ranaut’s film “Emergency” in Punjab. The SGPC has accused the film of tarnishing the image of Sikhs and misrepresenting history. It is worth noting that after getting the certificate from the censor board, the film is going to be released on 17 January 2025.
Shiromani Committee President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami has written a letter to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann regarding this issue. The letter states that if this film is released, it will cause anger and resentment among the Sikh community. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the government to ban this film in the state. If this film is released, the Shiromani Committee will strongly oppose it.
The film was not shown to any organization
SGPC member Gurcharan Singh Grewal said that after the first trailer of the film, the protest was raised by the organization. Now when the film is being released, there is no information as to which scenes have been cut and which have been kept.
The film was neither passed by any institution before its release nor was it shown to them. Therefore, the SGPC is worried that if the film is released, the atmosphere of Punjab may deteriorate.
Read what is written in the letter
SGPC chief advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami has written that it has come to our notice, the Emergency film produced by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut is going to be released in theaters in various cities of Punjab on 17 January 2025 and booking of tickets has also started.
Regarding this film, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee expressed its opposition to the Chief Secretary of the Punjab Government through letter number 22211 dated 14.11.2024 and sent the internal committee proposal number 798 dated 28.09.2024, to which objection has already been registered.
Made with the intention of defaming Sikhs
Through this it was clearly stated that ‘Emergency film will not be allowed to be screened inside Punjab, as it has been made with the intention of defaming Sikhs politically. Through the proposal, the state government was asked to stop the release of this film in Punjab, but sadly, the Punjab government led by you has not taken any action till now.
If this film is released on 17 January 2025, then it is natural for resentment and anger to arise in the Sikh world. We would like to state that the film spews venom against the Sikh massacre and genocide along with the deadly attack on the holy shrine of Sikhs Sachkhand, Sri Harmandir Sahib, Sri Akal Takht Sahib and many other places in 1984.
Anti-Sikh agenda has been worked out in the country, along with this, Sikh national martyr Sant Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwala has also been depicted in the film. Through this letter, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee once again strongly demands that Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency film be immediately stopped from releasing in Punjab on 17 January 2025. If this film is released in Punjab, we will be forced to strongly oppose it at the state level.
Know what was the controversy
Apart from Independent MP from Faridkot Sarabjit Singh, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the apex body of Sikhs, was the first to object to this film. Earlier, the film was scheduled to release on 6 September 2024, but after the protest, it did not get clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
5 months ago, Sarabjit Singh Khalsa, son of Beant Singh, the security guard who assassinated former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and Independent MP from Faridkot, had objected to the scenes shown in the trailer. He had said that there are reports of Sikhs being portrayed in a wrong way in the film Emergency, which may lead to deterioration of peace and law and order situation in the society.
If Sikhs are shown as separatists or terrorists in this film, then it is a deep conspiracy. Sarabjit had said that this film is a psychological attack, on which the government should pay attention beforehand and stop inciting hatred against Sikhs in other countries.
3 scenes deleted from the film
About 4 months ago, after objections from Sikh organizations, CBFC had stopped the certificate of the film. CBFC had given instructions to delete 3 scenes from this film. Along with this, strict instructions were also given that 10 changes should be made in the film before releasing it. Only after these changes, the film was given a green signal from the censor board.
