Vancouver, BC (April 05, 2013): According to the Canadian Sikh Coalition (CSC) the much anticipated Punjabi Film “Sadda Haq” has been banned by the Punjab Government, even after it was passed by the Censor Board and cleared all legal matters via the Supreme Court of India. Officials of the Punjab Government screened the film before passing on their recommendation to Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal. Amongst the officials was also DGP of Punjab Police and genocide perpetrator Sumedh Saini.
Silencing minority communities is nothing new for the so-called world’s largest democracy. “Sadda Haq” focussed on the abuses suffered by the Sikh community in the 1980s and 90s which led to a period of militancy in which the average Punjabi was at times forced to choose a side. It highlighted the corrupt role of politicians and police and the use of promotions and bounties for eliminating “terrorists” and turned the rural villages of Punjab into killing fields where young men between the ages of 15-35 were routinely detained, tortured and then made to disappear.
Canadian Sikh Coalition (CSC) Director and Lead Organizer for the promotion and distribution of “Sadda Haq” in Canada, Parvkar Singh Dulai said “I don’t think anyone is surprised at this move by the Indian Union. Any chance to suppress the dissent of its own citizens and the Indian Union will ensure it is done. The film is an opportunity for Sikhs and Punjabis to see the situation of Punjab through a different lens. Banning it in Punjab will do nothing but inspire and motivate us to work harder to bring this film into every Sikh’s household. It will only increase the demand for the film in the diaspora community and motivate others both in and out of Punjab to continue to tell the untold story of Punjab.”
The complete “Sadda Haq” team and the Canadian Sikh Coalition are asking for your much needed support. Please take your families and friends to see the film this weekend. Join us in making “Sadda Haq” not only a successful film, but the start of a revolution.