From Children to Adults-1984 Anti-Sikh Riots Victims
I was just forwarded the link to a photo essay which speaks volumes for children who grew up in the shadows of the 1984 riots in Delhi. Photographer Sanjay Austa has shared pictures and stories of young men and women whose fathers and husbands were killed during 1984 and how the events of that year transformed their lives.
They were in their mothers stomach, just delivered, toddlers or school going children in 1984 when their fathers, uncles or siblings were butchered in the anti-sikh riots in Delhi which left almost 3000 sikhs dead. These children were suddenly wrenched out from their cosy family life and hurled into the world of neglect, apathy and abuse. They grew up in the shadow of the riots, struggling between going to school and making a living. Their fathers were killed and their mothers either remarried or were so busy working to eek out a living that the kids were virtually forgotten. 25 years on they have grown up into young men. Some wayward due to the neglect , others unemployed due to lack education, and yet few others transformed their lives by sheer grit and determination. These are their stories. [link]
Manjeet’s mother , Harjinder Kaur had four children during the riots. Her daughter was only 10 days old. But after the riots she could not take care of her baby and she died. Every year during the anniversary of the riots gloom descends over her. She cannot believe the perpetrators of such violence still roam free.
Rajinder Singh was 10 years old when his father was killed in the 1984 anti-sikh riots in New Delhi. Rajinder was hiding in his neighbour’s house with his six siblings. His father was advised to cut of his hair but he refused. He hid in his house in Nandnagri but the mob found and killed him on Nov 1. He was also a ricksha-puller.
Paramjit Kaur’s mother was 7 months pregnant with her when her father was killed in Sultanpuri. She says she cant see her mother grieving so never asked her about her father. Her mother was newly married and with their son dead her in-laws didn’t want her. However her grandparents have been fighting with her mother for their share in the governments compensation after her father’s murder.
Interjeet Singh was 7 years old when his father was killed. He along with his two brothers and two sisters hid in their neighbors house. His father and mother stayed in the home thinking the sikhs were being butchered in the streets only. But on November 2 a mob attached their house in Raghu Nagar and killed his father. His father was an ironsmith and they destroyed his shop along with his house.
To view more of this photo essay, click here.
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Amazing pictures and stories -
My heart goes out to these families. It's heartwrenching to see the pics. 25 years later it still seems so raw. The Congress-Indian Govt who organized and perpretrated these diabolic crimes will never provide justice since they are the criminals. A good amount of blame also goes to the Sikh community. It's downright pathetic that we can place gigantic gold domes on gurdawaras but could not muster the resolve and resources to rehibilitate a few thousand women and children. Downright pathetic.
Yup, Thats a problem, with each group caring about its own gold dome. Almost feel like political and religious bodies like SGPC/Akalis, etc. dont care.
These killings were orchestrated to "teach people a lesson", and that is why justice is being denied ….
Most people living in Panjab and overseas were not directly impacted and the issue has been on the back burner and not front and center.
wtf man its pathetically sick of your mind saying the sikhs shud be blamed aswell , we dont need ur heinous comments about or on anything , i wish it happened to ur community aswell and how wud u'have felt wid me saying the same idiotic thing u said !!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is how the dictionary interprets the word. RIOT :: "a noisy, violent public disorder caused by a group or crowd of persons, as by a crowd protesting against another group,"
The word "riots" was deliberately used by Indian Government propaganda machines to underplay the severity of the Government sponsored mass murder, rape and pillage of the tens of thousands of innocent Sikhs . There was NEVER any riot as it was a genocide planned and executed by the Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Hindu leaders. with full support of ENTIRE Hindu establishment.
I can understand our enemies playing the public relations game, but it pains me to see that our own Sikh leaders, activist and other good intentioned people also fall for this trap. The only definition to describe the events of 1984 are" Mass murders, massacre, or genocide."
Yes, i think the [mis]use of "riots" is a well established fact now. The title here was simply used as the photographer had used it to provide credit to his work. Nonetheless, your point is extremely well taken.
How can we fathom The One
Who, in an instant,
Reduces a king to a pauper;
And, in the blink of an eye,
Fills the lowliest with splendour!
GGS, M5, 499:13
Thanks for sharing this with us.
I agree with Teg. Pogroms or Genocide are more befitting words to use, riots just undermines everything our Sikh brothers/sisters faced.
I agree our brothers and sisters were killed mercilessly it was worse than genocide
[...] 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots: Waiting for Justice.” Our readers have previously argued against the use of the word “riot” and suggested that “genocide” is the more [...]
With the passing of anniversary, this issue starts moving away from the spotlight. This is where we need our Gurudwaras/management teams (SGPC) to provide a co-ordinated response (Taking care of victims, relief and rehab., etc). Why should responses to such events be left to NGO's (HS Phoolka,Ensaaf,etc.).
It is in every Gurudwara/sangats self interest to do this, because no one can predict when/where disaster will strike next.
Hi, I was growing up in Punjab when 1984 happened. And 25 years later, it seems that time has not moved..justice is still just a dream for the families of 4000 odd people who died. I started a facebook group called `Justice for 1984 victims-Now' in the hope that somehow collective voices could come together to protest against what happened or find a way together to make difference but no one seems to be interested in events that happened so long ago. The apathy is staggering even though the fact is that if we don't come together in large numbers to speak out against what happened, the horror could come home again.
It is time to help the victims to find healing and closure because they have lived without any for too long.
While victims are getting lip service, here are the people getting real services –
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/punjab-govt-bus...
May Waheguru give peace and strength to all the families and survivors of 1984.
waheguru ji jk khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh
hun aao sadi fouj bhi tayar ho gai ye O bhi delhi mei har gali har mohalle mei RAJ KAREGA KHALSA yaad rakhna
tum fauj tayar karo jo ki pyar bate …. mohobat bat …bhaichar bat ….. naki nafrat ……samajh gaye dost ….
…time to realize that we all have only one religon UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD AND LOVE
I feel shame on us (Hindu) when i read and show this article and enger to congress party. in our army 80% are shiks and we did this non-sense act. this is price of one motilal nehru house. why shoule we win this congress party. As a Hindu i will decide that i have never vote to congress party. My father also told me that he was calcutta and give sheltter to so many shikhs. By this communication mode i ask to all people of india why this shikhs should not demanded Khalistan. this shiks are part of hindu and this congress party alwyas aganist the hindu.
There will never be justice in India..Sikhs are a minority who are in real life poles away from the Khalsa principles…
I am so much disturbed with the Government and its working that even after 62 years we are still hating each other.we dont have faith,reason the government is the ultimate base for spreading baseless reasons behind every community.Our government never sees present conditions they just deal for the future.In India no one can ever receieve justice.In India Humanity has died 62years before.And every one is egoistic.Even having a Sikh PM sikh are facing problems of jobs.Sikhs should get reservation for atleast 20 years so that what happened 26 years before can be compensated upto certain extent.
our country is hindu’s sthan they only want hindu to live here and hindi to be spoken
i don’t know why they don’t give punishment those killers who r responsible that riots.one thing is clear govt hate sikhs but we know how to take justice.VAHE GURU JI KA KHALSA VAHEGURU JI KI FATHI.if any body want to see a movie based on 1984 riots plz come singh sabha gurudwara sahib havloock road southall on saturday 7 pm
We need to revisit history ….before 1849 there was Maharaja ranjit singh ji khalsa empire….when east india company came, alongwith the whole of Hindustan , this khalsa raj also became a colony of the britsh….before india became independent..we were offered a separate sikh state by the british, just like pakistan,which our so called leaders like master tara singh( who originally was a hindu) alongwith false promises from nehru and gandhi that sikhs would be allowed to have a separate independent territory with special rights and freedom in Independent India betrayed the whole sikh community…
So, Punjab( erstwhile khalsa empire of maharaje ranjit singh) was never an integral part of India…so as a matter of fact India was liberated from british empire bur khalsa empire of maharaja ranjit singh is still a colony if India…
also constituition of india was never accepted by sikhs but it was forced on us….
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY OTHER CHOICE BUT KHALISTAN
Voice of Hatred can you please substantiate your assertions with historical evidence. maybe you would enlighten an un-informed person like me when you reveal your source for saying: “….when east india company came, alongwith the whole of Hindustan”. what do you mean by “the whole of Hindustan”?
i understand your anger about 1984 events but why blame the whole of hindusthan?
“we were offered a separate sikh state by the british” Really? when and by whom?
Ranjit singh’s empire (which did not cover most of the modern Indian Punjab as per a humiliating treaty with the British) was in existence for just over three decades. which country was Punjab part of before Ranjit Singh? Iran, afghanistan…maybe France?
Sikhs never accepted Constitution … what??? that must be crazy as thousands of sikhs have taken oath of loyalty to the Indian constitution after 1947. giani Zail Singh, Manmohan Singh and the last Army Chief are just three names in this series.
Punjab a colony… mate, my state Punjab is the most prosperous state in india for the last so many decades. can u name one country where slaves are treated so well that they become richer than their masters? do not you think something seriously wrong in ur argument?
Sher
The riots are shameful part of history but it negs the question, did current Prime Minister Manhoman Singh face personal danger during the 1984 riots? He was Governor of the Reserve Bank at the time. Was he given special protection?
First of all your name is in itself a total fictious, if you try to point that Hindus suffered too.
Further, I just wish what Hindus did and are doing should come around to them.
Sher : If you have reached the age of adulthood and you are still not aware of these 3 facts :
1) Punjab was a completely independant, sovereign Sikh nation before the British made it part of India.
2) Pakistan made an offer to the Sikhs to side with them….
3) Nehru countered that offered with his famous assertion that he "saw no reason why the Sikhs should not experience the glow of freedom in an automonous Punjab"
What that promise was…was that if the Sikhs sided with India the Punjab would be given autonomy.
I suggest, therefore, Sher, you do a little research and read the actual promises made by Nehru, It was these (false) promises…i.e 'lies' that swayed the Sikhs towards siding against Pakistan.
At first one wonders what low opinion the Indians must have for us Sikhs to blatantly lie to us. But that question is answered when we remember how the Indians butchered and raped 10,000 Sikh men, women and tiny babies in just one night in just one city. For a nation that butchers so easily lying was not difficult at all.
Dosanjh,
I confirm that I have reached the age of adulthood.
Now as far as three facts mentioned by you are concerned, I would ask you simple question; is not EVERY empire/kingdom/country/nation/state/territory completely independent before the other such power subjugates it?
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010408/spectru...
M Ranjit Singh was forced to stay on the one side of Satluj and not to venture south o that mighty river. Ranjit complied as he understood the power of the British.
Research Amritsar treaty 1809 between M R S and Metcalfe
As far as Punjab in mid 19th century is concerned, if you are referring to the empire left behind by M Ranjit Singh, LET ME REMIND YOU, RANJIT DID NOT RULE WHOLE OF PUNJAB AT ANY STAGE.
So that was your first point
sher