SGPC stages protest march over ban on 'Satluj'

Amritsar, Jul 10 (PTI) The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Friday held a protest march here, demanding that the ban on the film Satluj, based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, be lifted. The film depicts Khalra's work on alleged human rights violations, his abduction and killing, and the alleged atrocities on Sikh youth during the militancy period in Punjab after the 1980s. SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, members of the committee, officials and others participated in the march, carrying placards and banners seeking justice for Khalra and highlighting the alleged atrocities on Sikhs during that period. After the march, the SGPC submitted a memorandum addressed to the Punjab Governor through the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar. Addressing reporters, Dhami described Khalra as "an unparalleled sacrifice for truth and human rights". He said Khalra had gathered information about missing youths at a time when fear prevailed and had collected records from crematoriums and municipal councils that allegedly documented the cremation of unidentified persons. Dhami said Khalra's efforts were aimed at bringing the truth before society and served the cause of humanity. He also questioned what he described as the government's lenient approach towards a police officer convicted in the Khalra case. Dhami alleged that while Sikh prisoners who had spent more time in jail than their awarded sentences were not being considered for relief, efforts were being made to grant remission to police officers convicted in cases involving the killing of Sikh youths. PTI JMS VSD APL APL