The controversy around the film Satluj continues to spark debate across Punjab and in an exclusive conversation with TrueScoop, senior BJP leader and former National Commission for Minorities Chairman Iqbal Singh Lalpura shared his views on the film, former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, former Punjab Police chief KPS Gill, and the violence that Punjab witnessed during the militancy period.
Speaking about the debate surrounding Beant Singh, Lalpura said people are free to express their opinions and use different words for him, and at the same time, he acknowledged that allegations of fake encounters were made during Beant Singh's tenure and said several of those cases were investigated by CBI, and in some cases, police officers were convicted by courts.
According to him, these convictions show that fake encounter cases did take place during that period, he added that while people may describe Beant Singh differently, it is a fact that such allegations were investigated and convictions were delivered in some cases.
The discussion then moved to former Punjab Police Director General KPS Gill, who has once again become the focus of public discussion because of the film Satluj, Lalpura said that during the militancy period, rewards were announced for the arrest of wanted militants and questioned whether anyone verified how those people were arrested or killed before rewards were given.
He further said that in cases where courts found that accused persons were killed after being arrested and police officers were later convicted, senior leaders could not completely escape responsibility and according to him, KPS Gill was the Director General of Police and Beant Singh was the Chief Minister during that period, and said both played an important role in dealing with terrorism in Punjab, but they were also responsible for the functioning of the state machinery.
The conversation also covered the role of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, whose life forms the basis of the film Satluj, Lalpura said that after militancy had largely ended in Punjab around 1993, several people, including Jaswant Singh Khalra, started raising questions about alleged fake encounters.
He said the matter eventually reached the Supreme Court and was referred to the National Human Rights Commission and according to him, the allegations were examined and compensation was awarded in several verified cases.
He described Jaswant Singh Khalra as one of the activists working on these issues and said that since he had not taken up arms, he could not be described as a terrorist.
Referring to an article he had written earlier, Lalpura said around 22,000 people lost their lives during the conflict. He said this included innocent Sikh and Hindu civilians, police personnel and militants and added that every death was a loss for Punjab, regardless of which side the person belonged to.
According to him, the pain suffered by the family of a police officer was no different from that suffered by the family of a militant or an innocent civilian.
Lalpura said he had watched the film nearly three years ago when it was being made under the title Punjab 95 and said the Censor Board had suggested around 100 cuts before clearing it, according to him, if a film is made on Punjab's violent past, it should present the complete picture.
He said the story should include not only allegations against the police but also the killings carried out by militants, including attacks on buses, trains, shops, farmhouses and innocent civilians.
He argued that showing only one side of the violence would not present the full history of what Punjab experienced and repeated that people were killed on both sides during Punjab's violent years.
that the tragedy belonged to the entire state, stressed that Hindus and Sikhs cannot be divided and said both communities share the same history, culture and identity.