Three thousand murders, but not a single murderer identified

[Liono]

http://www.sikhsangat.org/publish/article_274.shtml

Report on ’84 riots damned

By TNS

Aug 9, 2005, 01:23

Mohali, August 8

Victims of the1984 riots protest in Mohali against the Nanavati Commission Action Taken Report which was tabled in Parliament on Monday.

“Three thousand murders, but not a single murderer identified or punished till now. Is this what you call justice?†questioned an agitated Hardeep Singh, a victim of the 1984 riots here today.

Reacting sharply to the contents of the Nanavati Commission Action Taken Report that was tabled in Parliament this morning, members of the 200-odd families who shifted here in 1984 were an infuriated lot.

Demanding action against Union Minister Jagdish Tytler and MP Sajjan Kumar for their alleged role in getting Sikhs killed, the victims rejected the report that had given a virtual clean chit to the two.

“I lost my father and my four brothers in the riots . Was I left alive to see this day? No action has been taken against any one of those who came to my house, doused petrol on my father and brothers and killed them. Then they burnt our house down. After 21 years we have no justice and now no hope is left,†said Inderjit Kaur who is living in Phase 11 with her family.

“Everything was carried out in connivance of Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler, H.K.L Bhagat and Dharamdas Shastri. These persons should have been hanged long ago. Instead all that the governments did was constitute commission after commission and look at the result. Tytler and Sajjan have been let off today,†alleged Harpal Singh, who came to Mohali from Delhi after his house was looted and is now the general secretary of the Sikh Danga Pirat Parivar Society.

Members of over 200 families shifted to Phase 11 following the implementation of a rehabilitation scheme in 1984. The victims admitted that when Dr Manmohan Singh, a Sikh, was made the Prime Minister, they had hoped that justice would prevail. “But today all hope has died. Even if the report has recommended inquiries against Shastri, P.G. Gavai and S.C. Tandon, we know that nothing is going to come out of these. The PM has played the same role that Giani Zail Singh played during the riots — watch like a mute puppet even while people of his community were being wronged,†said Surinder Kaur, another victim.

“Who says there is not enough proof against Tytler and Sajjan? They were at the forefront, organising the riots. The police was told not to help us. It was the Army that came later and helped us and we dared to come out of our houses,†alleged Lakhvinder Singh.

“The Akali government got us these houses. but the Congress government asked us to pay heavy penalties on the houses later. I lost my father-in-law in the riots. We have brought up our children in filth and poverty. Now they are jobless. The riots ruined our future generation too,†said Mrs Gurmail Kaur whose house in Trilokpuri, New Delhi, was burnt down. “I have not been given a house,†pointed out Gurdial Singh.

The victims are planning to meet the Prime Minister. “We demand immediate resignation of Tytler and Sajjan Kumar,†said Mrs Paramjit Kaur, councillor.

[unbreakable]

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[Amrit1972]

Did you hear Prime minister today, live on TV?

[Guest]

PM 'bows head in shame' for riots

India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has apologised in parliament to the Sikh community for the 1984 riots in which 3,000 Sikhs were killed.

"I bow my head in shame for what has happened," he said.

His comments came after a government inquiry this week said some Congress party leaders at the time had incited mobs to attack Sikhs.

One Indian minister has resigned and another politician on Thursday quit as a development board chairman in Delhi.

'Better future'

Mr Singh, the current Congress premier and the first Sikh to hold the top post, told parliament: "What took place in 1984 is a negation of what is enshrined in our constitution and on behalf of my country I bow my head in shame for what has happened."

He said: "We cannot undo the past but we can build a better future."

The riots were sparked by the assassination of PM Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards.

The 339-page inquiry report was tabled in parliament on Monday.

The report, by retired Supreme Court judge GT Nanavati, was the ninth inquiry commission into the riots, and was set up in 2000 by the then governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which is now in opposition.

The inquiry said that accounts from witnesses and victims of the rioting indicated that "local Congress leaders and workers had either incited or helped the mobs in attacking the Sikhs".

It found "credible evidence" against Jagdish Tytler, the minister for expatriate Indians, and recommended further investigation into his role.

Mr Tytler offered his resignation on Wednesday and it was accepted on Thursday on the recommendation of Mr Singh.

Mr Tytler denies wrongdoing and said he was resigning to work to clear his name.

On Thursday, another Congress MP whose role was questioned by the inquiry, Sajjan Kumar, resigned as chairman of the state-run Delhi Rural Development Board.

Prosecutions

In parliament, Mr Singh urged MPs not to make political capital from the inquiry.

"Let us not create a situation or use loose language which will give a handle to those forces which are inimical to our country's unity, integrity and cohesion," he said.

"It is no service to the Sikh community or to our nation."

However, widows of some of those killed in the riots have protested on the streets of Delhi, demanding Mr Singh's resignation.

The BJP has repeated its calls for prosecutions.

The Indian media have said that despite all the commissions of inquiry, there has been scant justice for the victims' families.

The Indian Express said: "The fact that not one of those who masterminded or spearheaded this carnage has had to face punishment will remain an affront to the nation."

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/worl...sia/4141820.stm

what sorry will do if no justice is served?? It's funny how mr singh said he can't change the past...off course he can because those ruthless killers are still on the loose..get them behind bars !!!!!!

[unbreakable]

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[artistformalyknownasodhi]

i say u ppl go n get em n lock em up, yeh u lot got the power go for it !

[Amrit1972]

i say u ppl go n get em n lock em up, yeh u lot got the power go for it !

[ifithelps]

unity..............been hearing this since i was 4....now i'm 24......i think the problem lies with understanding this word......unity does not mean we agree on every last thing (thank Maharaj for this otherwise we got no chance)it does not mean we agree on rehats....

unity means standing together at times like this, asking for justice, all speaking up and doing our bit. when thousands of innocent Sikhs were killed we should have stuck together from then onwards...but we didn't.

put differences aside and think about those poor innocent brothers and sisters.........today when a few innocent people are killed in some bombings the whole world including us condemn the action of the bombers......but what about our own people.

its just my opinion.

and 'artistformalyknownasodhi' there is no need for sarcastic comments.....this aint no laughing matter.....if your mum or dad were innocent victims of religous hate crimes, i dont think you would take the same attitude.

[jasp]

True this is no laughing matter, we need to all do our bit for our people.