Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Neel Garg has sharply criticized the central government following the removal of the film ‘Satluj’ from the OTT platform ZEE5. Speaking to the media in Bathinda, Garg questioned the government’s intentions and demanded the film’s immediate release.
“When films like ‘The Kashmir Files’ and ‘The Kerala Story’ are promoted, why do governments try to suppress the truth about Punjab?” Garg asked.
He further stated that ‘Satluj’—a film based on the struggle of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra—depicts the atrocities committed against the youth of Punjab during the Congress government’s tenure in the 1980s and 1990s. Banning and suppressing such films is proof that the government fears its own history.
What did Neel Garg demand?
Garg demanded that the film be released to shed light on the past and hold those responsible accountable. The film ‘Satluj’, featuring actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh, has been a subject of much discussion. After facing numerous legal and certification-related hurdles, ZEE5 had finally released the film on its OTT platform on July 3, only to remove it later.
Suspecting collusion between the Centre and the Congress, the AAP leader asked, “The Congress was in power at that time; so why is the central government afraid of this? Is there collusion between the two? What exactly is being hidden by banning this film?”
The film was completed in 2022 but remained mired in certification issues for a long time. Consequently, it could not be screened at its scheduled premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023. This raises the question: what exactly is in this film that has embroiled it in such a major controversy?
What is the film based on?
The film is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra and sensitive issues such as alleged staged encounters in Punjab. Khalra had investigated the cases of thousands of unidentified individuals who went missing in Punjab between 1984 and 1994, as well as their alleged cremations. His investigation brought this issue to the national stage. After raising this matter, Jaswant Singh himself went missing.
