The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) are organizing statewide screenings of the film 'Satluj' in Punjab [1].

The move comes after the film was removed from a streaming platform, sparking a debate over free speech and the historical memory of the region [1, 2].

Political leaders are using the film to highlight alleged atrocities committed against Sikhs during previous governments led by the Congress party [1, 2]. By arranging these screenings, the SAD and SGPC aim to bring these historical grievances back to the forefront of public discourse [1].

This escalation occurs months before the upcoming state elections in Punjab [2]. The timing suggests that the film has become a tool for political mobilization as parties seek to consolidate voter bases through shared historical trauma, and narratives of injustice [2].

The controversy has divided the state, pitting those who view the film as a necessary record of past suffering against those who see its promotion as an attempt to reopen old wounds for electoral gain [1]. The removal of the content from a digital platform has further fueled the argument that the narrative is being suppressed [1, 2].

Representatives of the SAD and SGPC said the screenings are intended to ensure that the history depicted in the film reaches the people despite the platform's decision to pull the content [1]. The organizers said the removal is a catalyst to discuss censorship and the right to remember historical events [2].

“The removal of the film 'Satluj' from a streaming platform has sparked a political flashpoint in Punjab.”

The 'Satluj' controversy illustrates how historical grievances can be weaponized as political capital in Punjab. By framing the film's removal as an act of censorship, the SAD and SGPC are attempting to merge a free-speech argument with a narrative of historical victimization to gain leverage before the state elections.