Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Sahney on Monday called for calm over the controversy surrounding the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Satluj, saying Punjab's hard-earned peace must not be endangered by what he described as 'uncalled narratives.' Speaking from Chandigarh, Sahney said he was deeply pained by the ongoing public discourse around the film.

What the Film Depicts

Sahney acknowledged that Satluj centres on a specific chapter of Punjab's history — one involving alleged disappearances, fake encounters, extra-judicial killings, and illegal cremations carried out without informing victims' families. He stressed, however, that the film represents an artistic interpretation of those events and should not be treated as a comprehensive account of Punjab's entire history of terrorism and militancy.

He was emphatic that neither Diljit Dosanjh nor the filmmakers have sought to justify terrorism or minimise the enormous suffering caused by militancy — a period that claimed the lives of thousands of civilians, security personnel, and public servants during what he called Punjab's 'darkest years.'

The Jaswant Singh Khalra Connection

Sahney drew attention to the constitutional path taken by human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, whose work forms a backdrop to the film's subject matter. He noted that Khalra pursued the issue of disappearances and illegal cremations strictly through legal channels, including filing habeas corpus petitions before courts.

The Supreme Court of India and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) subsequently took cognizance of these matters. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered 62 cases for investigation, and Khalra's own abduction and murder eventually led to the conviction of Punjab Police officials by a court of law.

Sahney's Call for Closure

With the film now widely viewed across the state, Sahney argued that the debate should be allowed to settle rather than be used to reopen old wounds or relitigate painful chapters of the past. He urged Punjabis to treat these dark historical episodes as lessons that can strengthen justice and preserve the social harmony necessary for a progressive and peaceful Punjab.

Notably, his remarks come amid a broader national conversation about how cinema engages with sensitive historical events — a debate that has intensified following several recent films touching on conflict, identity, and state conduct.

Broader Context

The controversy over Satluj reflects a recurring tension in Indian public discourse: the line between artistic freedom and the potential for films to inflame community sentiment or rekindle historical grievances. Sahney's intervention signals that even political voices sympathetic to the film's subject matter are urging restraint, underscoring the fragility of Punjab's social fabric even decades after the militancy era.