Amid the ongoing discussion over the upcoming film Satluj, BJP Parliamentary Board member and former National Commission for Minorities chairman Iqbal Singh Lalpura, has appealed for peace, emotional healing and responsible storytelling while speaking about Punjab's painful past.
Dr. Lalpura also spoke about his own role during Punjab's militancy period and said he served as the head of intelligence operations in Punjab's border area during that period which included September 1995, when human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra was abducted from his residence in Amritsar, Dr. Lalpura said he informed the then Director of Intelligence, O.P. Sharma, about the matter who was one of Punjab's senior IPS officers and served as the Director of Intelligence during the militancy period and later became the Director General of Police (DGP) of Punjab in 1996 after K.P.S. Gill.
O.P. Sharma is a former IPS officer who served as the Director of Intelligence of the Punjab Police during the final years of the militancy period and later became the Director General of Police (DGP) of Punjab in 1996, succeeding K.P.S. Gill and as the state's intelligence chief, he headed the Punjab Police Intelligence Wing, which was responsible for gathering and analysing intelligence related to terrorism, insurgency and security operations and his tenure coincided with the period during which human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra exposed allegations of illegal disappearances and secret cremations in Punjab, because the film Satluj is based on Khalra's life and the events surrounding that period, O.P. Sharma's name has once again come into public discussion as one of the senior police officers who held a key leadership position in Punjab's security establishment at the time.
Responding to questions about the film, Dr. Lalpura avoided making direct comments on its storyline or whether it is factually accurate. Instead, he said filmmakers should understand Punjab's history and carefully think about the impact their work can have on society and according to him, every filmmaker has a responsibility to consider how a film may influence public thinking, especially when it deals with sensitive chapters of Punjab's history.
He described Satluj as an entertainment film from his point of view and said he did not want to comment much beyond that however, he stressed that anyone making such a film should first understand the historical background before presenting it to the public, Dr. Lalpura also pointed out that films on Punjab's militancy period are not new and referred to filmmaker Gulzar's acclaimed film Maachis, which was released many years ago and also dealt with the violence and turmoil of that period.
While speaking about Punjab, Dr. Lalpura said the state is the land of the Sikh Gurus, the land where truth has always been respected and where people have traditionally stood with the poor and the weak and said these values should continue to guide Punjab's future.
One of the key messages from Dr. Lalpura's interaction was that Sikhs and Punjab as a whole need emotional healing after decades of conflict and pain and said old events have remained in public discussion for many years and continue to return to the headlines, referring to the Jaswant Singh Khalra case, he noted that it is not a new issue and has been discussed for decades and also pointed out that convictions have already taken place in the case through the judicial process and at the same time, Dr. Lalpura said justice should always be important and maintained that no innocent person should ever suffer.
He clearly stated that the police have no authority to kill anyone outside the law and according to him, every action must remain within the legal system, he also remarked that, in his view, not everyone connected to the Khalra case was brought to justice and said some individuals escaped accountability, while others became police informers or avoided legal consequences.
Along with his remarks on the film, Dr. Lalpura said Punjab has suffered enormously because of terrorism over the past several decades and said thousands of innocent people lost their lives, families were destroyed and public institutions were weakened and according to him, ordinary citizens suffered the most during those years, he also said that at different stages of the conflict, criminal, administrative and political interests benefited from instability while common people paid the price.
Dr. Lalpura expressed concern that controversies related to Punjab's past continue to emerge repeatedly. He said painful events are often brought back into public debate, emotions are stirred and old wounds are reopened and questioned whether such repeated controversies actually help justice or instead create more division within society and according to him, Punjab's youth deserve peace, opportunities and hope instead of constantly inheriting bitterness from the past, he also said society should honour those who build peace and unity instead of those who spread hatred and division.
Dr. Lalpura appealed to Punjabis of every religion, caste and political background to work together for the state's development and urged people to carefully distinguish between genuine demands for justice and narratives that may be used to influence public emotions for political, personal or financial reasons and said citizens should always ask who benefits whenever old divisions are repeatedly reopened.
While stressing that justice for every innocent victim remains important, he added that justice should not become a slogan that keeps conflict alive forever and according to him, people who held positions of authority in the past should also honestly examine their own responsibilities instead of engaging in endless blame games. Dr. Lalpura said Punjab now needs to replace suspicion with trust and confrontation with cooperation and he believes the state's energy should now be focused on improving education, modernising agriculture, creating jobs, promoting industries, encouraging entrepreneurship, protecting the environment and strengthening social harmony.