Displeasure in Sikh community over removal of Diljit Dosanjh’s ‘Sutlej’ from ZEE5, DSGMC makes big announcement

New Delhi: The controversy is continuously deepening after Diljit Dosanjh’s film ‘Sutlej’ was removed from ZEE5 in India. Now Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has also come forward openly in this matter. The committee says that this is not just a case of a film, but an attempt to prevent the story of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra from reaching the people. For this reason, DSGMC has decided that public screenings and special programs will be organized in educational institutions to make the film reach as many people as possible.

On Tuesday, DSGMC President Harmeet Singh Kalka gave his reaction on this entire matter. He said that removing a film in this way is not just a decision related to entertainment, but an important chapter of history is also being suppressed by it. According to Kalka, the life and struggle of Jaswant Singh Khalra is shown in the film. He claimed that Khalra had exposed the cases of thousands of people who were allegedly cremated as unclaimed. His work started a wide discussion in the country and abroad on the situation of Punjab at that time. In such a situation, his story should reach the people.

Public screenings and seminars will be organized

DSGMC has announced that it will encourage all its Gurdwara management members to get the film screened so that even those who have not seen it online can understand the story. Apart from this, the committee will hold a meeting with the heads of schools and colleges running under it. In this meeting, a plan will be made to organize a seminar on the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra, his work and issues related to human rights. The committee believes that the new generation should get information about this subject.

What did Harmeet Singh Kalka say?

Harmeet Singh Kalka said that even a single person can bring a big change in the society. According to him, Jaswant Singh Khalra is an example of this. He said that if a social worker can bring out such a big truth through his efforts, then the society together can bring more positive changes. With this thinking in mind, the committee wants to introduce people to their lives.

What is the story of the film ‘Sutlej’?

Director Honey Trehan’s film ‘Sutlej’ is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. The film depicts the events of the period when Khalra made many important revelations regarding alleged human rights violations and cases of secret cremations during the insurgency in Punjab. Diljit Dosanjh is playing the lead role in this film. After being stuck in the censor process for a long time, the film was released on ZEE5 on July 3. However, in India it was removed from the platform just two days after its release.

Why was the film removed?

It was said by the streaming platform that the film "current circumstances" Has been temporarily stopped due to. However, the detailed official reasons behind this decision were not made public. Later, quoting some government sources, it was revealed that this step was taken in view of security concerns and the current situation in Punjab. However, no formal detailed statement was issued in this regard.

Who was Jaswant Singh Khalra?

Jaswant Singh Khalra was a bank employee by profession, but later he became one of the prominent human rights activists of Punjab. On the basis of government documents, he tried to expose such cases in which a large number of unidentified dead bodies were allegedly cremated. His work attracted national and international attention. In the year 1995, he went missing under mysterious circumstances. Subsequent investigation revealed a case of his kidnapping and murder, in which several police personnel were held guilty.

The film was in controversies even before its release

The initial name of this film was ‘Punjab ’95’. It remained stuck in the censor process for several years before its release. The filmmakers said that during the certification, many changes and a large number of cuts were demanded, due to which its release kept getting postponed. Eventually the film was released on the digital platform under the name ‘Sutlej’, but after some time it was removed for the Indian audience.

After this, ZEE5 appealed to the people not to do piracy of the film and said that efforts are being made to provide a suitable platform for the film. The film is produced by RSVP Movies and McGuffin Pictures. Apart from Diljit Dosanjh, Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljeet Singh, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan are also seen in important roles.