Amritsar: Relatives of extrajudicial killing victims in Punjab have opposed the ban on Diljit Dosanjh-starrer “Satluj”, asserting the movie highlights a painful chapter of history that deserves to be acknowledged than suppressed.Based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who was abducted in 1995 and never seen again, the film released uncut on ZEE5 on Friday but was removed on Sunday evening. The ban has reopened deep wounds for families who lost loved ones to enforced disappearances and staged encounters. For Jaswinder Singh of Amritsar, the film mirrors his own family’s tragedy. In 1992, police picked up his father, Sukhdev Singh, and his maternal grandfather, Sulakhan Singh (84), a freedom fighter who had been jailed in Lahore during the British rule. “On Nov 2, 1992, we were told both died during interrogation and their bodies were thrown into the Harike canal,” Jaswinder said. Sulakhan had retired as vice-principal of Government Senior Secondary School, Lopoke. Bhupinder Kaur’s father, Palwinder Singh, was taken by police from Rawalpindi village near Phagwara in 1993 under the pretext of questioning. “Later, we learnt he was killed in an encounter,” she said. Her mother, Jaswinder Kaur, faced police torture and constant threats to withdraw their legal case, which the family fought for 35 years despite financial hardship. “Our voices should be heard so people know what happened,” Bhupinder added. In Tarn Taran, Hira Singh recalled his 18-year-old brother, Gurnam Singh, being picked up in 1992. After community appeals, their mother was briefly allowed to meet him in custody. Days later, police claimed Gurnam was killed in an encounter. “It was a fabricated story,” Hira said. Three of four police officers received life sentences decades later. “That is not justice. Now, even a film on the truth is stopped,” Hira said. Baldev Singh of Sanghna village said families during that time had to beg terrified village panchayat members to accompany them to police stations. Baldev only came to know of his father Surjit’s death through Jaswant Singh Khalra’s investigations. “Back then, anyone wearing a turban could be branded a militant,” Baldev said, adding his father had consistently protected local Hindu neighbours despite the unrest. The tragedy also struck within police ranks. Satwant Singh Manak of Talwandi Bhai in Ferozepur said his father, Chanan Singh, a police constable, was tortured after pursuing legal action against alleged police excesses. Satwant said police frequently visited their home looking for him after he had left for Uttar Pradesh. He alleged he had given statements against several policemen accused of extrajudicial killings. In 1994, police abandoned Chanan at a railway station in critical condition. Locals who recognised him took him home, where he later succumbed to his injuries, Manak said. Shiva Khatri, a resident of Tarn Taran, said police abducted his uncle, Gulshan Kumar, in 1993, later framing him and four strangers in a vehicle robbery case. All five were subsequently killed in a staged encounter, he alleged. Box ‘Implies state hiding something’ Human rights advocate Sarabjit Singh Verka, who assisted human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra and represented victims in CBI courts, has called the ban unjustified. He said courts eventually convicted over 150 police officials, including three DIGs and five SSPs. “The ban is unjustified. It falsely implies that the state is hiding something,” Verka said, adding that his own activism led to his arrest in a false terror case for which he was later acquitted and awarded Rs 15 lakh in compensation.
