:dateline:Expressing dissatisfaction over working of the Modi led Union government in delivering justice to the 1984�s Sikh genocide victims, President of Sikh Genocide Victim Welfare Society (Ladies Wing) Gurdeep Kaur has announced to hold fast till death from September 12.
Interacting with media, Gurdeep Kaur said that the Union government did nothing to avail relief to the victim families.
“I will sit on hunger strike before the District Commissioner’s�Office in Ludhiana from September 12 along with four other victims if the Government doesn�t deliver justice,” she added.
During the 1984 Genocide, Gurdeep Kaur’s 21 family members were killed alive in front of her. �She recalls how Hindu mobs broke into her house and burnt her husband and two sons alive. �Following the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, thousands of mobs killed and raped Sikhs across Delhi and other Indian cities.
Following account of Gurdeep Kaur was�filed in an affidavit before the Nanavati Commission:
On the morning of 1 November, when Indira�s body was brought to Teen Murti, everyone was watching television. Since 8.00 am, they were showing the homage being paid to her dead body. At about noon, my children said, �Mother, please make some food. We are hungry.� I said, �Son, everyone is mourning. She was our mother too. She helping us to settle here. So I don�t feel like lighting the fire today.�
Soon after this, the attack started. Three of the men ran out, and were set on fire. My youngest son stayed in the house with me. He shaved off his beard and cut his hair. But they came into the house. Those young boys, 14 and 16 years old, began to drag my son out even though he was hiding behind me.
They tore my clothes and stripped me naked in front of my son. My son cried, �Elder brothers, don�t do this. She is your mother just as she is my mother.� But they raped me right there, in front of my son, in my own house. They were young boys, maybe eight of them. When one of them raped me, I said, �My child, never mind. Do what you like. But remember I have given birth to children. This child into the world by this same path.�
After they had taken my honour, they left. I took my son out with� me, and made him sit among the women, but they came and dragged him away. They took him to a street corner, hit him with lathis, sprinkled kerosene over him, and burnt him alive.
I tried to save him but they struck me with knives and broke my arm. At that time, I was completely naked. If I had even one piece of clothing on my body, I would have gone and thrown myself over my son and tried to save him. I would have done anything to save at least on young man of my family. Not one of the four is left.
It was an attempt to De Sikhify India and Punjab .
It is the game of thrones that make people do such crimes.
The throne of India and Punjab was the cause of 84 Genocide.
You can only make a person commit a criminal act if they lack a moral compass in the first place which can then be exacerbated / manipulated and reinforced by nationalism and deference to the State. You do not commit acts of genocide or murder if you have a sense of personal responsibility and humanity which is what Sikhi will instil in you from early age.
TThe Armenian Genocide which took place in 1915 has got recent recognition .
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide
The Armenian Genocide is still to this today hotly refuted and unacknowledged by the Turkish Government and people – sound familiar? It is of little use acknowledging a genocide a hundred years on as you suggest as it allows generations to blindly believe what their State tells them as being true. You yourself have on this website contended that there are two versions of what happened in 1984 – the SIkh version and the government – equating both versions as having equal validity which allows those who should face criminal charges and those who blindly support genocide against other peoples to get away with clean chits and consciences. Recognition of genocide in a timely manner leads to condemnation and apportioning of blame which leads to perpretrators of crimes against humanity being sent to the court in the Hague where they can expect all their dirty laundry be revealed to the world and face imprisonment. Instead of your suggestion that Sikhs wait a hundred years plus for justice – and again I point out the Turks have still not recognised the innocent blood on their hands in Armenia – I would remind you the world has recognised the genocides within a decade that happended in Rwanda and Croatia. The hyper nationalistic Serbs were as a consequence of their leaders such as Radovan Karadzic being jailed for 40 years forced to confront the demons of the past and their country is a better democratic minded nation as a result. Contrast that with Turkey whose despotism grows after a hundred years still refusing to accept they committed a genocide because of nationalistic pride. India must do the same. The likes of Jagdish Tytler have enjoyed over 30 years of freedom whilst their victims and survivors of the Sikh genocide have endured over 30 years of anguish. If Sri Lanka (for the sake of reconciliation as much as natural justice) can start to look at the human rights abuses its politicians, police and military carried out against its Tamil minority in the name of nationalism in past 15 years then why not India after more than 30 years?
M Singh Keep it up , These people think if Sikhs don’t speak up the problem will go away and they have no guilt on their conscience ( may be I am forgetting first to start with one has to have conscience) Sikhs will keep on fighting for justice no matter what ?
1984 Sikhs are victims of Games of thrones.
Injustice in such games takes at least 100 years to be recognized.
People seldom get justice in such games.
Why do you keep posting such callous comments of falsehood when I have explained in detail the root cause of genuine Sikh grievances? No doubt you think these victims should not demonstrate via hunger strikes either like Bapu Surat Singh to prick your conscience that you would prefer remains unsullied with shame. Unlike you Sikhs don’t need 100 years to recognise injustice, we know it when we see it and we speak up about it – learn from us and you will regain that compassion and humanity that eludes you when you look upon the victims of state sponsored and sanctioned pogroms.