Film Removal Highlights India's Freedom Index Ranking
India ranks 110th out of 165 nations on the global Human Freedom Index, and the removal of the film Satluj from a digital platform within 48 hours of its release underscores the challenges to artistic freedom in the country. The film, starring Diljit Dosanjh, tells the story of human rights crusader Jaswant Singh Khalra and highlights unpalatable truths about state tyranny and terrorism in Punjab during the 1980s and 1990s.
Diljit Dosanjh expressed satisfaction that the movie reached its intended audience, but the filmmakers face significant financial setbacks after battling the censor board and legal hurdles. Social media outrage, particularly among younger audiences, indicates the film's resonance. For those aged 50 and above, it revisits a horrifying chapter in Punjab's history.
The Context of Punjab's Militancy
Satluj portrays state tyranny that convulsed Punjab for 15 years, beginning in the early 1980s. Terrorism culminated in the assassination of Chief Minister Beant Singh in August 1995. Beant Singh paid the price for giving then-DGP KPS Gill a free hand to suppress terrorism. The police succeeded partly through lawless methods and partly because Punjabis grew tired of daily bloodshed.
Khalistanis abroad often portray Punjab militancy as a movement for a separate state, but it started as a reaction to systemic injustices. The Parkash Singh Badal government, ignoring intelligence warnings, allowed a risky Vaisakhi Samagam in 1978 at Amritsar where a dozen Sikhs were killed in a clash with Nirankaris. The killings went unpunished, infuriating young Sikhs and leading to the rise of militancy and Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
Police Repression and Extrajudicial Killings
Police repression was unleashed, and rural Sikhs provided food and shelter to armed youth. Young people, coming of age in a society with a flexible rule of law, dysfunctional institutions, and bleak economic prospects, turned to terrorist gangs in growing numbers. The film is based on Jaswant Singh Khalra, a bank employee from Khalra village near Bhikhiwind in Tarn Taran district. He investigated mysterious disappearances and discovered extrajudicial killings of about 25,000 Sikh youths.
Majha region, especially Tarn Taran district, was worst hit by militancy. The author recalls brutal killings by both terrorists and police. In October 1993, terrorists crossed from Pakistan; an encounter left two youths dead. Their bodies were sent to Patti Civil Hospital, where one was found alive. Valtoha SHO Sita Ram took him away, shot him again, and returned the body to the hospital.
Communal flare-ups occurred when Hindu passengers were pulled out of buses, lined up, and shot. Being clean-shaven, the author was told by relatives to grow hair and wear a turban or stop visiting. Such killings led to the migration of Hindu families.
Climate of Fear and Media Censorship
Terrorists ruled Punjab at night; police stations locked up after dark, with no night patrolling or bus services after sunset. When asked about staged encounters, a police officer close to then-Ludhiana SSP Sumedh Singh Saini said, “If we don’t kill them, they will kill us.” Then-DGP Julio Ribeiro’s “bullet-for-bullet” statement was taken seriously.
Ajit Singh Sandhu, then SSP of Tarn Taran, earned notoriety for abductions, torture, and extrajudicial killings. In the film, the character SSP Sugga is based on him. Sandhu allegedly committed suicide by jumping in front of a speeding train in 1997. Some reports attributed to Amnesty International suggest he was murdered because his testimony could have revealed big names. In the movie, Diljit Dosanjh mentions the killings of around 2,000 policemen for refusing to take part in fake encounters.
The press played it safe during those days. The Jalandhar-based vernacular press was divided on religious lines. Militants sent press notes followed by telephonic threats. There was hardly any independent investigation of encounters.
Khalra's Courageous Work
In this context, Khalra's work stands out. When journalists hesitated and few dared to challenge the police version, he stepped out bravely in search of truth. Investigating complaints of mass cremations, he accessed municipal records containing names and addresses of those whose bodies were legally or illegally disposed of. His revelations brought national and international attention to human rights violations in Punjab. This courageous venture resulted in his disappearance and subsequent killing in 1995. SSP Sandhu was the principal accused.
While Khalra exposed the ugly face of the state, militancy produced another braveheart from the area: CPM activist Comrade Balwinder Singh of Bhikhiwind. He survived 42 terrorist attacks and was awarded the Shaurya Chakra in 1993 for unmatched courage.
Operation Blue Star and Press Censorship
When Operation Blue Star took place in June 1984, a blanket curfew was imposed in Chandigarh and Punjab. Newspapers protested by leaving blank space wherever news reports or editorials were removed. Then Editor-in-Chief of The Tribune, Prem Bhatia, arranged food for the night shift. The newsroom was surprised to hear him speak rustic Punjabi on the phone while lodging a protest with the Lt Governor of Chandigarh. Later, he led a march by Chandigarh journalists against press censorship.
The widespread righteous fury at the disappearance of Satluj within 48 hours of its release speaks volumes about Khalra's iconic status in Punjab and beyond. A government leaning towards authoritarianism cannot be expected to take kindly to such a film.
