Sikh Communities Host Public Screenings of Banned Biopic Satluj to Honor Activist Jaswant Singh Khalra
Sikh communities across the Indian state of Punjab have organized public screenings of the film Satluj, a biopic of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. The film, which depicts extrajudicial killings by security forces during the Sikh separatist movement in the 1990s, was blocked by the Indian government for national security reasons. Despite the ban, the film has gained popularity through community-led screenings in temple courtyards, village squares, and on social media platforms. Jaswant Singh Khalra was a bank employee who documented approximately 2,000 police-led killings in the Amritsar district, alleging a total of 25,000 across the state. He was allegedly killed by the Punjab police in 1995 after exposing these state excesses. The administration announced the film's removal from the Zee5 streaming platform due to security concerns, with officials fearing a resurgence of separatist sentiments. However, the ban has sparked a wave of defiance against the Hindu nationalist government, with activists and political parties staging rallies to support the film's historical narrative.