What happened in 1984?
Once again in 1984 Sikhs were attacked. Being a minority Sikhs were victimized by Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. Following her assassination, families were looted, raped, and thrown in jail by anti-Sikh mobs.
India still refuses to take responsibility for their actions. In the attacks of 1984, thousands of men and women lost their lives. Gandhi ordered the Indian Military to attack the holiest temple of the Sikhs, The Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Dating back to the times of their Gurus, Sikhs have been known for laying their lives when it comes to protecting their religion. Sikhs retaliated and did what they could to protect the Gurdwara. Shortly after the attacks, her two Sikh bodyguards assassinated her. This triggered the killings of many other Sikhs in India.
During this genocide, many Sikh men were put in jail for falsely accused crimes and still have not been released till this day. The supporters of Indira Gandhi murdered more then 15,000 Sikhs in broad daylight while police watched. Gurdwaras, houses, shops, trucks, cars, scooters, and other Sikh owned property were set on fire or vandalized. Many women were kidnapped and raped while other family members went missing and are still not found today.
According to Sikhs For Justice, 120 Sikhs working at the Bokaro Steel Plant Jharkhand were thrown alive into burning furnaces. Sikhs on public roads burnt alive, dragged out from trains and lynched on the railway platforms and set on fire. Children as old as 13 days of age roasted alive on gas stoves in Kanpur and other cities in India. It had become a nightmare for Sikhs to reside in India, let alone step out of their houses. Congress members, many of whom still hold power today, planned the entire massacre.
On 31 October, Congress party officials provided assailants with voter lists, school registration forms, and ration lists. These lists aided assailants in finding exact locations where Sikhs resided. On November 19, 1984, the birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, son of Indira Gandhi, made a statement condoning the murder of Sikhs “When a mighty banyan tree falls the earth beneath it is bound to shake”. He had no remorse for the victims of the massacre.
Interview of Jatinder Singh(name is altered to protect the identity of the actual person)
Jatinder Singh, 43, currently resides in America. He has been here for 15 years working hard to earn for his family back home. In 1984, he was only 11. During the genocide his family tried to stay out of sight. However, his friend had a different fate.
1. During the Sikh Genocide of 1984, did you or anyone you know get attacked?
a. Yes, my friend Balbir Singh (name is altered to protect the identity of the actual person) was brutally beaten up by the police. We all tried to stay in the house and out of sight as much as we could. After bribing the police with money, they finally let go of Balbir.
2. Why was he beaten?
a. The police claimed he was a terrorist. It was easy to spot a Sikh due to their physical appearance and labeling them a terrorist was the only excuse they needed to get rid of us.
3. Did he suffer any injuries or receive any apologies after?
a. Apologies were out of question then and still are now. He had multiple bruises all over his body since he was beaten for 18 days straight.
What Are My Thoughts?
After 32 years, the killers of 1984 roam freely in powers of position. My parents grew up in India at the time and faced similar fears. Luckily, their area was safer. They avoided all contact with the police and stayed home as much as possible. Sikhs have not received the justice they deserve; instead, things are getting worse for the minorities. Stop the discrimination and own up India!
