1984 Anti-Sikh riots: Families remember tragedy and demand long-delayed justice

Sonya was three years old when her parents and uncles were killed during the war. Anti-Sikh riots of 1984 in Delhi.

Her sister, who was 13 at the time, later told Sonia about the violence and killings of people from the Sikh community following the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, she said at a news conference in Delhi on Saturday to mark the 40th anniversary of the riots.

• Read:“Declare the 1984 anti-Sikh riots a genocide”

“I was three years old… My sister told me about the incident and how my father and uncles were killed,” she said.

With tears in her eyes, she described how her sister cared for her in her parents’ absence. Sonya now works for a non-governmental organization and has two children.

• Read: 1984 Anti-Sikh riots: Congress leader Sajjan Kumar goes to jail for ‘rest of life’

Gandhi was assassinated in her home on October 31, 1984 by her two bodyguards, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh.

During the press conference, senior advocate H.S. Phoolka said he and his team are producing 20 documentary videos titled “1984 Genocide: The Endless Quest for Justice” to mark the 40th anniversary of the riots.

• Read: Nobody thought Congress leaders would be convicted: Modi on 1984 Sikh massacre

According to Phoolka, the documentary videos feature riot survivors recounting their experiences during that time.

Twelve videos were released on Saturday. The rest will be released in Chandigarh on November 9.

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“The events of 1984 not only marked the murder of countless citizens, but also the death of justice itself,” Phoolka said.

The entire legal system collapsed and the blindfolded lady judge reflected the blindness of the judges who did not see the atrocities happening around them, he argued.

“It was only in 2017 that the Supreme Court began to take an active interest in punishing the perpetrators of this genocide. Judge Dipak Misra has constituted a new special investigation team to reopen the cases, signaling a long-overdue commitment to getting justice for the victims,” the senior lawyer added.

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Darshan Kaur, who was breastfeeding her infant son and two toddlers during the riots, has spoken of the day her life changed forever.

A mob attacked her home and, despite her repeated pleas, she watched helplessly as her loved ones were attacked.

“We had no television, no warnings. The next day (November 1, 1984), when we learned of Gandhi’s death, chaos erupted. They (the gang) came, threw bottles of chemicals at our house, and took my husband away from me,” she said.

• Read more: BJP targets Gandhi for 1984 anti-Sikh riots

“Forty years have passed and we are still grieving for our loved ones,” Kaur said.

“Yet justice remains elusive,” she said.

The pain of that day remains a haunting reminder of a tragedy that has left lasting scars on families and communities, she added.

According to the Nanavati Commission report, 587 FIRs were registered in connection with the riots that left 2,733 people dead in Delhi. Police closed about 240 cases as “uninvestigated,” and about 250 resulted in acquittals.

In May 2023, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a chargesheet against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler for his alleged role in the murder of three people on November 1, 1984.

About 400 people were convicted in 27 cases. Of these, around 50 people were convicted of murder, including former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar.