SAD Announces Screenings of Satluj Across Punjab

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has declared its intention to organize public screenings of the film Satluj across Punjab. This move follows the recent removal of the film from the streaming platform Zee5. The leadership of the party maintains that these screenings are essential to educate the youth and coming generations about historical events and state repression associated with the era of militancy between the mid-1980s and early-1990s.

The film, previously titled Punjab '95, details the life of activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, whose work became central to the discourse on human rights during the period of militancy in Punjab. The SAD leadership views the film’s distribution as a vehicle to expose the policies of the Congress governments that held power during that time. The party claims that the digital takedown of the film is an act of suppression that prevents historical transparency.

By actively facilitating the screening, the SAD seeks to solidify its political messaging and engage with the current generation regarding the traumatic past of the state. This initiative highlights the ongoing political tensions surrounding the depiction of historical figures and state actions in Punjab. It remains a point of contention between political rivals, with the SAD aiming to use the cinematic portrayal to influence public perception of past governance and institutional actions.