Satluj Row Khalra S Wife Urges Akal Takht To Form People S Commission

Days after the film ‘Satluj’, based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who went missing in 1995, was blocked from streaming on an OTT platform, Paramjit Kaur Khalra, his wife, broke her silence on Monday and urged the Akal Takht to establish a People’s Commission to determine the actual number of people who disappeared, the number of unidentified bodies, and those killed in alleged fake police encounters during the 1980s and ’90s in Punjab.

In a post shared on her X account, she said, “Punjab is preparing to gather on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at Harike Pattan (the site associated with unidentified bodies), for an Ardas (prayer) ceremony called by the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib. I appeal to the people of Punjab, the entire Sikh Panth, and people across the world who believe in human rights and justice to unite in the search for truth.”

Paramjit is currently in the United States with her son and daughter, who are settled there.

Earlier titled ‘Punjab ‘95’, the film was pulled from the OTT platform ZEE5 for viewers in India two days after its July 3 release, following the ministry of information and broadcasting’s intervention, citing of security concerns.

Paramjit, who has also worked as a human rights activist under the banner of the ‘Khalra Mission Organisation’ after her husband was allegedly abducted and murdered in police custody in 1995, as per the court judgment, also recalled the episodes of Operation Bluestar and the anti-Sikh violence in Delhi and other parts of the country.

Apart from blaming Congress for these killings, she also underlined the alleged negative role of other parties -- the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

“The then governments granted VIP facilities, legal assistance, and high-ranking positions to police officers accused of wrongdoing… While the victim families were pushed to the margins, harassed, and forced to face legal hardships,” she wrote.

“The entire Sikh Panth looks to Sri Akal Takht Sahib with the hope that it will provide fearless and impartial leadership in accordance with the principles established by the Sikh Gurus”, she said.

“We respectfully request the Jathedar Sahib to establish a People’s Commission to determine the actual number of people who disappeared, the unidentified bodies, and those killed in alleged fake police encounters during the 1980s and 1990s in Punjab,” she added.

Paramjit urged the jathedar to give a rightful place in the Central Sikh Museum to those unidentified victims whose identities, according to this statement, were brought to light through her husband’s work.

Khalra appealed to the jathedar to direct the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to provide financial assistance to the affected families.

“No political party or individual should be above accountability or the law. Those who killed innocent people, denied justice, concealed the truth about the Sikh genocide, or supported human rights violations should be held accountable before the people. Their official state honours should be withdrawn, and they should face social boycott”, she said.

Paramjit contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from the Khadoor Sahib constituency unsuccessfully. From the same constituency, she campaigned for jailed Sikh radical leader Amritpal Singh in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and the latter registered a thumping victory.

After being removed from the OTT platform, the film is being screened publicly across Punjab, especially in villages.

Surjit Singh is a correspondent. He covers politics and agriculture, besides religious affairs and Indo-Pak border in Amritsar and Tarn Taran.