Satluj row: Paramjit Kaur Khalra seeks People's Commission on Punjab's disappearances

Amid the row over the film Satluj, based on the life and work of slain human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, being taken down blocked from streaming on an OTT platform, his wife, Paramjit Kaur Khalra, on Monday (July 13) urged the Akal Takht to set up a People's Commission to determine the actual number of enforced disappearances, unidentified bodies and alleged fake police encounters in Punjab during the 1980s and 1990s.

Taking to X, she referred to the Ardas (prayer) ceremony scheduled for Tuesday (July 14), at Harike Pattan, a site she described as being associated with unidentified bodies.

"Punjab is preparing to gather on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at Harike Pattan (the site associated with unidentified bodies), for an Ardas (prayer) ceremony called by the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib," she said.

Appeal to people

"I appeal to the people of Punjab, the entire Sikh Panth, and people across the world who believe in human rights and justice to unite in the search for truth,” added Khalra.

Recalling Operation Bluestar, the anti-Sikh violence of November 1984 and the years that followed, she said these events, along with unidentified bodies, torture and alleged fake encounters, still demand accountability and justice.

Demand for accountability

Khalra, who continued her human rights work through the Khalra Mission Organization after her husband's abduction and alleged custodial killing in 1995, according to the court judgment, alleged that successive governments had failed victims' families.

Also Read: Punjab BJP leader Lalpura warns Union minister Bittu to 'remain within limit' over 'Satluj'

Besides blaming the Congress, she criticised the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), alleging that Akali Dal governments rewarded police officers accused of wrongdoing, while the present AAP government had "helped them evade justice" instead of prosecuting them. She also claimed the BJP government faced allegations regarding targeted killings on foreign soil.

Governments come under fire

Seeking intervention from the Akal Takht, she called for "fearless and impartial leadership" and urged the Jathedar to establish a People's Commission.

Also Read: Satluj row: How CBI, SC brought Jaswant Singh Khalra’s killers to justice

She also appealed to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to provide financial assistance to affected families and sought a place in the Central Sikh Museum for unidentified victims whose identities, according to the statement, were established through Jaswant Singh Khalra's work.

"No political party or individual should be above accountability or the law," she said, adding that accountability should be demanded from the entire system.