CHANDIGARH — In a renewed push for justice nearly three decades after her husband’s abduction and killing, Paramjit Kaur Khalra has urged the Akal Takht—the highest temporal authority in Sikhism—to establish an independent “People’s Commission” to investigate the enforced disappearances of thousands of Sikh men during Punjab’s militancy era. Her appeal, made on Tuesday, comes as the controversy surrounding the film Satluj—which dramatizes the life and work of her late husband, human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra—continues to reverberate across Punjab and beyond.
Kaur’s demand underscores the persistent failure of state institutions to deliver accountability for human rights violations committed during the 1980s and 1990s, a period marked by violent insurgency and a brutal counterinsurgency campaign by Punjab police. Speaking to reporters outside her home in Amritsar, she framed the proposed commission as a necessary alternative to government inaction. “The courts have failed us. The police have failed us. The Akal Takht must now step in to ensure that the truth is not buried forever,” she said, according to Hindustan Times. The commission, she suggested, should include legal experts, human rights activists, and representatives of victims’ families to document testimonies, review evidence, and recommend reparations.
The timing of her appeal is significant. The film Satluj, starring Punjabi actor Diljit Dosanjh, was released on the streaming platform Zee5 on April 12, 2026, only to be withdrawn days later following protests from Sikh groups who accused it of distorting historical events and misrepresenting Jaswant Singh Khalra’s legacy. While Zee5 has not issued an official statement, industry sources told The Indian Express that the decision was made to “prevent further escalation” amid threats of boycotts and legal action. The film’s removal has reignited debates over artistic freedom, historical memory, and the role of religious institutions in shaping public discourse.
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What Happened
Paramjit Kaur Khalra’s call for a People’s Commission was delivered during a press conference in Amritsar, where she was joined by representatives of Sikh organizations, including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and the Dal Khalsa. She framed the demand as a response to the “systematic denial of justice” by successive governments, citing the lack of progress in cases related to enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and illegal cremations during Punjab’s militancy years.
The Akal Takht, located within the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, holds immense moral and spiritual authority among Sikhs worldwide. While its edicts (hukamnamas) are not legally binding, they carry significant weight in shaping community opinion and political action. Kaur’s appeal is not the first time the Akal Takht has been called upon to intervene in matters of historical injustice. In 2015, it issued a hukamnama urging the Indian government to release Sikh prisoners who had served extended sentences for militancy-related offenses, a demand that gained traction among political parties in Punjab.
The film Satluj, directed by Tarsem Singh Saini, purports to tell the story of Jaswant Singh Khalra’s investigation into the cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies by Punjab police in the mid-1990s. Khalra, a bank employee turned activist, had documented the illegal disposal of bodies in Amritsar’s Durgiana Mandir crematorium and presented his findings to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in 1995. He was abducted by Punjab police in September of that year and never seen alive again. His body was later identified in a mass grave in 2005, following a Supreme Court-monitored investigation.
The film’s release was met with immediate backlash from groups such as the Damdami Taksal, a Sikh seminary, which argued that it “glorified Khalra’s work while downplaying the role of militant groups in Punjab’s violence.” Others, including Khalra’s family, have defended the film as a necessary tribute to his legacy. The controversy has highlighted the deep divisions within the Sikh community over how to memorialize the militancy era—a period that remains politically and emotionally charged.
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Why It Matters
The Khalra case is emblematic of the broader impunity enjoyed by security forces during Punjab’s counterinsurgency operations, which human rights organizations estimate resulted in the deaths or disappearances of over 25,000 people between 1984 and 1995. Despite multiple judicial inquiries, including a 2006 Supreme Court directive to reopen cases of illegal cremations, most families of the disappeared have received little more than symbolic compensation. The proposed People’s Commission, if established, would represent the first major civil society-led effort to systematically document these cases since the NHRC’s investigation in the late 1990s.
Kaur’s appeal also raises critical questions about the role of religious institutions in addressing historical injustices. The Akal Takht’s intervention could lend moral legitimacy to the demand for accountability, but it also risks politicizing the issue further. Sikh political parties, including the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)—which currently governs Punjab—have historically been cautious about revisiting the militancy era, fearing it could reignite communal tensions. The SAD, in particular, has faced criticism for its alleged complicity in police excesses during its long tenure in Punjab’s government.
For victims’ families, the demand for a People’s Commission is not just about justice but also about recognition. “We don’t want revenge. We want the truth,” said Gurmeet Kaur, whose husband disappeared in 1992 and whose case was documented by Jaswant Singh Khalra. “The government has treated us like criminals for demanding answers. Maybe the Akal Takht will listen.”
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Background and Context
# The Khalra Case: A Symbol of Impunity
Jaswant Singh Khalra’s investigation into the illegal cremations began in 1994, after he discovered discrepancies in death records at Amritsar’s municipal corporation. His research revealed that Punjab police had cremated thousands of bodies as “unidentified” or “unclaimed,” many of whom were later identified by families as missing relatives. Khalra’s findings, presented to the NHRC in 1995, led to the commission’s landmark order directing the Punjab government to compensate families and prosecute responsible officials.
Khalra’s abduction on September 6, 1995, was allegedly carried out by a team led by then-Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajit Singh Sandhu, who was later indicted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) but died by suicide in 1997 before facing trial. In 2005, the Supreme Court ordered the exhumation of mass graves in Punjab, leading to the identification of Khalra’s remains. Six police officers were convicted in 2007 for his abduction and murder, but the case remains one of the few instances where security personnel have been held accountable for militancy-era crimes.
# The Militancy Era and Its Aftermath
Punjab’s militancy, which peaked in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was marked by a violent insurgency for a separate Sikh state, Khalistan, and a brutal counterinsurgency campaign by state and central security forces. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have documented widespread abuses during this period, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and enforced disappearances. The Indian government’s response was framed as a necessary measure to restore law and order, but critics argue that it led to a culture of impunity that persists to this day.
In 2006, the Supreme Court directed the Punjab government to reopen 2,097 cases of illegal cremations, but progress has been slow. According to a 2023 report by the Punjab Documentation and Advocacy Project (PDAP), only 12% of these cases have resulted in convictions, while the majority remain stalled due to lack of evidence or police obstruction. The PDAP, a civil society group, has documented over 8,000 cases of enforced disappearances in Punjab, though the official number remains disputed.
# The Role of the Akal Takht
The Akal Takht, established in 1606 by Guru Hargobind, serves as the central authority for Sikh temporal affairs. Its decisions, while not legally enforceable, have historically influenced political and social movements within the Sikh community. In recent years, it has intervened in contentious issues such as the 2020–2021 farmers’ protests, the 2015 pardon of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, and the 2019 controversy over the Nanak Shahi calendar.
However, the Akal Takht’s authority is not absolute. Its decisions are often shaped by the political leanings of the SGPC, a body dominated by the SAD, which has governed Punjab for much of the post-militancy period. Critics argue that the SGPC has used the Akal Takht to advance its own agenda, particularly in matters related to Sikh identity and politics. Kaur’s demand for a People’s Commission, therefore, is as much a challenge to the SGPC’s authority as it is a call for justice.
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Competing Claims and Uncertainty
# The Film Controversy: Art vs. History
The backlash against Satluj has exposed deep divisions within the Sikh community over how to interpret the militancy era. Proponents of the film, including Khalra’s family, argue that it is a necessary corrective to the official narrative, which has long downplayed the scale of human rights abuses. “The film is not perfect, but it tells a story that needs to be told,” said Paramjit Kaur Khalra in an interview with The Tribune. “My husband’s work was about truth, not propaganda.”
Opponents, however, accuse the film of sensationalism and historical inaccuracies. The Damdami Taksal, which has close ties to the SGPC, issued a statement calling the film “a deliberate attempt to distort Sikh history” and demanded its permanent removal. Some critics have also questioned the timing of the film’s release, suggesting it was intended to capitalize on the upcoming 30th anniversary of Khalra’s abduction in September 2025.
Zee5’s decision to pull the film has been criticized by free speech advocates, who argue that it sets a dangerous precedent for artistic censorship. “The withdrawal of Satluj is a victory for those who want to silence uncomfortable truths,” said Aakar Patel, former head of Amnesty International India. “If we allow films to be banned because they offend certain groups, where does it end?”
# The Feasibility of a People’s Commission
While Kaur’s demand for a People’s Commission has garnered support from human rights groups, its feasibility remains uncertain. Unlike government-led truth commissions, such as South Africa’s post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a People’s Commission would lack legal authority to compel testimony or access classified documents. Its effectiveness would depend on the cooperation of state institutions, which have historically resisted efforts to reopen militancy-era cases.
Moreover, the Akal Takht’s willingness to establish such a commission is far from guaranteed. The SGPC, which controls the Akal Takht’s affairs, has not yet responded to Kaur’s appeal. In the past, the SGPC has been reluctant to take positions that could alienate its political allies, particularly the SAD, which has close ties to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government.
There are also concerns about the commission’s composition. Kaur has suggested that it include legal experts, activists, and victims
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Story synopsis gathered from: Hindustan Times – India News — source.
