“Though
we boast of being the world’s largest democracy and the Delhi being its
national capital, the sheer mention of the incidents of 1984 anti-Sikh riots
in general and the role played by Delhi Police and state machinery in
particular makes our heads hang in shame in the eyes of the world polity.”
|
-Delhi High Court in its verdict on anti-Sikh riots related
case in 2009
Whatever happened during 31 October-3 November,1984 is a big
shame on the so-called democracy of India. What’s more shameful is direct
involvement of the government and administration in directly executing the
genocide of Sikhs. More to the disgust of the victims was the strange
justifications by Rajiv Gandhi and other senior leaders of Congress. A cover up
that has lasted 27 years, even after formation of 10 commissions, none of the
guilty has been punished.
Precisely 27 years ago, on
a day very much like this at about 1:30pm All India Radio declared the then Prime
Minister Indira Gandhi dead. Spotnews announce Mrs. Gandhi's assailants as two
Sikhs and one clean shaven Sikh. In the days that followed, Sikhs, for the
first time in independent India, felt like Jews in Nazi Germany, as mobs of
rioters ran riot, setting upon Sikhs, who, by their distinctive turbans and
beards, were easy targets. Sikhs were beaten and burnt alive all around Delhi
and many other places in the country. Women were gang raped. Even the children
were not spared. What was more, the congress shamelessly called this “planned
genocide of Sikhs” just riots. To further salt the wounds of the victims,
Rajiv Gandhi, Indira Gandhi’s elder son and the country’s next PM blatantly
justified the violence at a Boat Club rally 19-days after the assassination of
Indira Gandhi, as “Some riots took place in the country following the
murder of Indira ji. We know the people were very angry and for a few days it
seemed that India had been shaken. But, when a mighty tree falls, it is only
natural that the earth around it does shake a little.” And when that
tree did shook, it claimed lives of 2733 Sikhs in Delhi alone and much more in
the other parts of the country. According to the government, about 20,000 Sikhs
fled the city but to Rajiv Gandhi that was mere shaking of earth. Again in an
interview to the Sunday Magazine (March 16, 1985) he justified the massacre
saying that that "the violence was extensive only in those areas
where Sikhs distributed sweets". He even opposed a judicial
inquiry into the events. No wonder even today Sonia is totally silent and it
was left to her stooge PM Manmohan Singh to shed crocodile tears.
