Transcript 1984 Sikh Massacre - Raj Karega Khalsa Network

1984 Sikh Massacre
4000 Sikhs were killed/tortured in
3 days after October 31st 1984
What happened in Delhi?
• October 31, 1984:
– 9.20 am: Indira Gandhi was shot by two of
her security guards at her residence
– 11 am: Announcement on All India Radio
specifying that the guards who shot Indira
Gandhi were Sikhs.
• 4 pm: Rajiv Gandhi returned from West
Bengal and reached AIIMS. Stray
incidents of attacks on Sikhs in and
around that area.
• 5.30 pm: The cavalcade of President
Zail Singh, who returned from a foreign
visit, was stoned
• Late evening and night: Mobs fanned
out in different directions from [the
hospital]. The violence against Sikhs
spread. The violence included the
burning of vehicles and other properties
of Sikhs. That happened even in VIP
areas like the crossroads near Prithviraj
Road where cars and scooters
belonging to Sikhs were burnt.
• Despite all these developments, no
measures were taken to control the
violence or prevent further attacks on
Sikhs throughout the night between
October 31 and November 1.
• November 1, 1984:
• Several Congress leaders held meetings on
the night of October 31 and morning of
November 1, mobilising their followers to
attack Sikhs on a mass scale. The first killing
of a Sikh reported from east Delhi in the early
hours of November 1. About 9 am, armed
mobs took over the streets of Delhi and
launched a massacre. Everywhere the first
targets were Gurudwaras – to prevent Sikhs
from collecting there and putting up a
combined defence.
• Mobs were armed with iron rods of a
uniform size. Activist editor Madhu
Kishwar saw some of the rods being
distributed among the miscreants. Mobs
also had an abundant supply of petrol
and kerosene. Victims traced the source
of kerosene to dealers belonging to the
Congress party. For instance, a
Congress worker called Brahmanand
Gupta, a kerosene dealer, figures
prominently in affidavits filed from
Sultanpuri.
• Every police station had a strength of about
100 men and 50-60 weapons. Yet, no action
was taken against miscreants in most places.
The few places where the local police station
took prompt measures against mobs, hardly
any killings took place there. Farsh Bazar and
Karol Bagh are two such examples. But in
other localities, the priority of the police, as it
emerges from the statement of the then
police commissioner S.C. Tandon before the
Nanavati Commission, was to take action
against Sikhs who dared to offer resistence.
All the Sikhs who fired in self-defence were
disarmed by the police and even arrested on
trumped up charges.
• Most of the mobs were led by Congress
members, including those from affluent
families. For instance, a Youth Congress
leader called Satsangi led a mob in the
posh Maharani Bagh. The worst
affected areas were however far flung,
low income colonies like Trilokpuri,
Mongolpuri, Sultanpuri and Palam
Colony.
• November 2,1984:
• Curfew was in force throughout Delhi –
but only on paper. The Army was also
deployed throughout Delhi but nowhere
was it effective because the police did
not co-operate with the soldiers who
were not empowered to open fire
without the consent of senior police
officers or executive magistrates.
Meanwhile, mobs continued to rampage
with the same ferocity.
• November 3,1984:
• It was only towards the evening of
November 3 that the police and the
Army acted in unison and the violence
subsided immediately after that.
Whatever violence took place the next
two or three days was on a much
smaller scale and rather sporadic.
Aftermath of the carnage:
• Most of the arrested miscreants were
released at the earliest. But the Sikhs
arrested for firing in self-defence
generally remained in detention for
some weeks. Worse, there was also a
pattern throughout Delhi of the police
not registering proper cases on the
complaints of victims.
• Since the Partition riots of 1947, there has
not been a single carnage anywhere in India
on the scale seen in 1984.
• It took 6 Months for the Government to
accede to the inquiry demand. Though the
massacre took place in the first three days of
November 1984, the inquiry was appointed
only on April 26, 1985. The Government was
however prompt in ordering an inquiry into
Indira Gandhi’s assassination, which had
triggered the massacre. It took just four days
to announce a judicial inquiry into the
assassination.
• The Bharatiya Janata Party contradicted
the Government’s claim then that only
600 people were killed in the Delhi
carnage. On the basis of a survey done
by its cadres, the BJP came out with a
death toll of 2,700, which is remarkably
close to the official tally of 2,733 arrived
at three years later.
The Beginning – Freedom Struggle
Punishment suffered
Hanged
Sikhs
Non Sikhs
Total
93
28
121
2147
499
2646
799
501
1300
Killed at Budge Budge Khat
67
46
113
Killed in Kooka Movement
91
-
91
500
-
500
3697
1074
4771
Imprisoned for life
killed at Jallianwalla Bagh
Killed in Akali Movement
Grand total
The Independence - Conference in England 1946
• The Sikh reps.Tara Singh, Kartar Singh, Harnam
Singh & Baldev Singh, stood for a united India, but if
it was to be divided then they would want a separate
Sikh State.
• "a province where the Sikhs were in a dominant or
almost a dominant position," and this should be free
to federate either with Hindustan or Pakistan.
• There should be a transfer of population under
government auspices and said that within five or ten
years nearly all the Sikh population could be
concentrated in the proposed Khalistan.
Sikh Killings in Pakistan
• As august 1947 approached Pakistani
Muslim started slaughtering Sikhs in
Rawalpindi and Lahore Districts to get rid
of them from Pakistan.
• On August 15, Punjab was split. 2 million
Sikhs were left in Pakistan.
• Those who moved after Aug 15- faced
murder and despoliation.
Promises…
• "...in future, the Congress shall accept no
constitution which does not meet with the
satisfaction of the Sikhs" (The Lahore session
of the Congress Party. December 31, 1929)
• "...the brave Sikhs of Punjab are entitled to
special considerations. I see nothing wrong in
an area set up in the North of India wherein,
the Sikhs can also experience the glow of
freedom." (Jawahar Lal Nehru, Lahore
Bulletin, January 9, 1930)
• "I ask you to accept my word and the
Resolution of the Congress that it will not
betray a single individual much less a
community. Let God be the witness of the
bond that binds me and the Congress with
you (the Sikhs). When pressed further Gandhi
said that Sikhs would be justified in drawing
their swords out of the scabbards as Guru
Gobind Singh had asked them to, if Congress
would renege on its commitment."
- (Mohandas Gandhi, Young India, March
19, 1931)
• "...Master Tara Singh saw me on his
return from Delhi, and seemed really
concerned at the approaching departure
of the British. He demanded Khalistan,
with transfer of population, or a new
state from Jumna to Chenab, in which
the Sikhs would not be oppressed"
- (Sir E. Jenkins, Governor of the
Punjab, 15th April, 1946)
After 1947
• " To preserve the unity of India, if we
have to eradicate 2-kror [ 20 millions ]
Sikhs, we will do so.
– (Balram Jhakhar, a colleague of P.V.
Narsimharao, the former Indian Prime
Minister)
• " The Sikhs are a lawless people and a
menace to the law abiding Hindus ...
The [Government] should take strict
measures against them."
• (Pandit Nehru, Indian Prime Minister, on Sikhs)
• Kya main taqat dushman (the enemy the Sikhs) ke haath main de dun (How
can I entrust power into the hands of
the enemies).“
• (Jawahar Lal Nehru, 1961)
• " I hate the very physique of a Sikh
because of the turban and beard. "
• (Vallabh Bhai Patel, late Indian top politician)
• "I don't give a damn if the Golden
Temple and whole of Amritsar are
destroyed, I want Bhindranwale dead."
• (Indira Gandhi, Indian Prime Minister,
communicating with Gen. Vaidya during
"Operation Blue Star")
• "We have broken the back of the Sikhs
and we will get them elsewhere."
• (M. M. K. Wali, Indian Foreign Secretary, June
7, 1984, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation,
Radio 740, As It Happens)
• "Let us teach these bastards (the Sikhs)
a lesson.“
• (Rajiv Gandhi, October 31, 1984)
• "... a threat to the villagers that all
males would be killed and their women
taken to army camps to breed a new
race if there was any militant activity in
their village."
• (Brig. R. P. Sinha, Indian Army, March 8, 1991)
• "You do not know the might of our
armed forces. We will eliminate 10,000
Sikh youths and the world will know
nothing about it.“
• (Chander Shekhar, former Prime Minister of
India, CK, 21st October, 1991)
The Fight for our rights.
• It began in 1950 when R.S.S. and Arya
Samaj Declared Punjab as a Hindu state
with Hindi as its state language.
• Golden Temple was refused Holy Status
by Indian Govt.
• A new Hindu temple was built in
Amritsar and immediately given the
Holy status.
• Sikhs were continually alienated from Govt.
and the policies made by the Govt. were
entirely anti-sikh.
• The ‘Arya Samaj’ published “Satyarath
Prakash”
– Sikhs:
Page 443 (chapter IX) Guru Nanak did not possess
any learning . . . he wanted to show that he had
some pretensions to the knowledge of Sanskrit . .
. anxious to gain public applause, fame and glory .
. . He was vain . . . resorted to gain reputation
and acquire fame. Page 446 . . . if Sikhs were to
read vedas, they would no doubt embrace vedic
religion
• The anti-Sikh mentality of former Home
Minister Gulzarilal Nanda, and former
Prime Minister Charan Singh are
perhaps due to their origin in Arya
Samaj and also responsible for
influencing the usually impartial attitude
of the Congress towards minorities.
The Sikh Demands of 1953
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Chandigarh to be declared capital of Punjab. (Like Bombay was
returned to Maharashtra in 1960 after depriving them for 4 years).
River-water dispute should be referred to the Supreme Court.
Appointment of a commission of linguistic experts to go into the
territorial claims by Punjab and Haryana, treating each village as a
unit and the language actually spoken and contiguity as the sole
criteria.
Return of 3 Punjab thermal-head-works back to Punjab
administration.
Removal of discrimination in the Armed Forces by lifting the limit of
2% on Sikh recruitment.
Enactment of All India Gurdwara Act, covering historical Gurdwaras.
Continuing Struggle
• After 18yrs of suffering – Punjab was
officially formed as a state. Haryana
was split from Punjab in 1961.
• Punjab was the last state to be formed.
• Chandigarh was given to Haryana.
• Darshan Singh Pheruman fasted for 74
days before dieing to take back
Chandigarh.
• January 26, 1970 Sant Fateh Singh,
President of Shiromani Akali Dal went
on fast declaring that if demand for
restoring Chandigarh to Punjab is not
met, he would burn himself alive On
February 1, 1970 the Government
announced its decision to hand over
Chandigarh to Punjab, in lieu of areas
of Fazilka and Abohar Tehsil to Haryana.
Demands of 73
• On October 16, 1973 "The Anandpur Sahib
Resolution."
• regional autonomy for punjab
• return of Chandigarh to Punjab
• special status for Sikhs in the Indian union
• a supreme court review of Punjab river waters,
• return of the Punjabi speaking areas to Punjab,
• return of the administration of the Punjab Electric
Board as well as the three thermal headworks to
Punjab
• provision of a fare share of electricity to Punjab
• and some minor religious demands
Massacre of 1978
• Nirankari Cult with the help of the
Congress and Arya Samaj stormed
Golden Temple.
• Their Leader Gurbachan was provided
with a DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT, to
spread his anti-sikh message.
• Gurbachan openly declared that he
would put his foot on the Guru Granth
Sahib, claimed that the 11th Guru was
just a bundle of papers and that he was
the real Guru.
• Vaisakhi 1978, they held a procession
[in Golden Temple] shouting filthy
slogans against the Satguru and
shouting insults at the Sikh religion.
• About 125 GurSikhs decided to hold a
peaceful protest against the procession
of Nirankaris
• The GurSikhs asked the Police to try
and stop the Nirankaris.
• In Return- Nirankaris along with police
armed with Machine Guns, Spears,
hand-made Bombs, Axes & Acid bottles
attacked the unarmed GurSikhs.
• Among the killed was Babbar Khalsa,
Several AKJ leaders along with other
GurSikhs.
• SGPC issued a resolution banning
Nirankaris and urging every Sikh to stop
them.
• Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale took on
this task.
• Nirankari Leader, Gurbachan escaped to UK,
then Canada. Later he was arrested and
given a trial and then acquitted even after 10
witnesses went against him
• He was Gunned down on April 24, 1980
• From 1977 to 1983, Bhindrenwale led
his agitation against Arya Samajis and
other fanatic Hindu organizations who
were working against Sikhs as well as
many Sikhs who were working with
Hindu extremists.
• Many of his followers were young rural
Sikhs, who had been disappointed with
state and central government due to
unemployment, poverty and other
problems.
The Revenge
• With a view to win over Hindu majority of North India
and Punjab, Indira Gandhi mischievously exploited
the anti-Nirankari movement in Punjab to create
communal antagonism between Sikhs and Hindus in
1980.
• State terrorism against devout Amritdhari Sikhs was
started in Punjab through her stooge Chief Minister
of Punjab, Darbara Singh, during 1982.
• As a reaction to the Police terrorism on Sikhs, the
devout Sikhs started taking revenge on Police and
officials who ordered persecution of Sikhs in 1982-83.
• In October 1983, the Government
imposed President's Rule Punjab.
• From October 1983 to June 1984, is a
story of political manipulations and
mischievous designs on the part of
Indira Gandhi to destroy the Sikh faith
and exterminate the Sikh people with a
view to win over Hindu votes in India.
Betrayal of Akali Dal
• the saddest thing for the Sikhs to happen:
Almost all the Akali leaders betrayed the
Sikhs and Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale for
their selfish ends and had secret meetings
with representatives of Mrs.Indira Gandhi.
They reached a secret understanding with
her; they would not stand in her way if she
used armed forces to attack Golden Temple
complex and destroy Sant Jarnail Singh
Bhindranwale and his associates. All that they
wanted in return were minister and chief
minister positions for themselves.
The Attack
June 1-7 1984
Blue Star
• June 3, 1984, the Martyrdom day of Guru
Arjan Dev: that was the day the Army chose
to surround Guru Arjun's temple. The
onslaught started two days later on the night
of June 5 around 7 p.m. The total number of
people killed during Operation Blue Star at Sri
Darbar Sahib, Amritsar, Punjab and other
gurudwaras as well as the marching villagers
and Army deserters is more than 12,000 in
numbers.
• May 25th- 100,000 troops surrounded several
GWs in Punjab
• June 1st – 1000s of pilgrims gathered to
celebrate the martydom day of Guru Arjan
Dev ji.
– Police Fires on the Langar hall leaving 11 dead
and 25 injured.
• June 3rd – Communications cut off from
Punjab. Phone lines are cut throughout
Punjab isolating it from the world. Journalists
are expelled. Road blocks were placed.
10,000 people were trapped in Golden
Temple.
• June 4- Firefight lasts 5 hrs. 100 ppl die on
both sides.
• June 5- Invasion begins. Troops enter and are
turned back due to gunfire. Commandoes
enter and forced to retreat.
• June 6th- 13 Tanks enter the complex and
attack Akal Takhat with the 105 mm highly
explosive squash-head shells.
• 80 shells were fired at Akal Takhat
Witnesses
• (Bhan Singh, Secretary of S.G.P.C.)
"They cut our electricity and water supplies. It was very
hot in the rooms. There was no water. We had only two
plastic buckets of water. Longowal had to place two people
as guards over the buckets. Many people would squeeze
their undershirts to drink their sweat to quench their
thirst.“
• Among the dead were 35 women and 5 children. The
survivors were made to sit in the courtyard of the Guru
Ram Das Hostel until curfew was lifted the next evening.
They were not given any food, water or medical aid.
People drank whatever water was in puddles in the
courtyard from the blown up water tank.
• "When people begged for water some soldiers told them to
drink the mixture of blood and urine on the ground."
• (Karnail Kaur, mother of 3 young children)
• (Bhan Singh)
"I saw about 35 or 36 Sikhs lined up with their
hands raised above their heads. And the
major was about to order them to be shot.
When I asked him for medical help, he got
into a rage, tore my turban off my head, and
ordered his men to shoot me. I turned back
and fled, jumping over the bodies of the dead
and injured, and saving my life crawling along
the walls. I got to the room where Tohra and
Sant Longowal were sitting and told them
what I had seen. Sardar Karnail Singh Nag,
who had followed me, also narrated what he
had seen, as well as the killing of 35 to 36
young Sikhs by cannon fire. All of these
young men were villagers."
• (Ranbir Kaur, School Teacher)
"Early on the sixth morning the army came into the
Guru Ram Das Serai and ordered all of those in the
rooms to come out. We were taken into the
courtyard. The men were separated from the women.
We were also divided into old and young women and
I was separated from the children, but I managed to
get back to the old women. When we were sitting
there the army released 150 people from the
basement. They were asked why they had not come
out earlier. They said the door had been locked from
the outside. They were asked to hold up their hands
and then they were shot after 15 minutes. Other
young men were told to untie their turbans. They
were used to tie their hands behind their backs. The
army hit them on the head with the butts of their
rifles."
•
(Sujjan Singh Margindpuri)
"The young men and some other pilgrims were
staying in Room Number 61. The army searched all
the rooms of the Serai. Nothing objectionable was
found from their room. Nor did the army find
anything objectionable on their persons. The army
locked up 60 pilgrims in that room and shut not only
the door but the window also. Electric supply was
disconnected. The night between June 5th and June
6th was extremely hot. The locked-in young men felt
very thirsty after some time, and loudly knocked on
the door from inside to ask the army men on duty for
water. They got abuses in return, but no water. The
door was not opened. Feeling suffocated and
extremely thirsty, the men inside began to faint and
otherwise suffer untold misery. The door of the room
was opened at 8 am on June 6th. By this time 55 out
of the 60 had died. The remaining 5 were also semidead."
•
Giani Puran Singh)
"I went to the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) on 5th June around
7:30 in the evening because I had to ensure that religious ceremonies
were performed. The moment I stepped on to the parkarma I stumbled
across a body. Bullets were flying and I had to take shelter behind each
and every pillar to reach the Darshani Deorhi. Another body was lying
there. I ran a few yards and reached the Akal Takht. Night prayers start
at Harmandir Sahib five minutes after they start at the Akal Takht. I
wanted to find out if the path (recitation) had started there. I had a
glimpse of Bhindranwale. We did not speak to each other. Around 7:45
I came out of the Akal Takht and ran into the Darshani Deorhi. I ran
towards Harmandir Sahib, unmindful of the bullets flying past my ears. I
began night prayers. Soon a colleague of mine, Giani Mohan Singh,
joined me. Seeing the intensity of the fire we decided to close all the
doors, barring the front door. Soon we completed all religious rites. We
then took the Guru Granth Sahib to the top room to prevent any
damage to the holy book. The Head Priest, Giani Sahib Singh, had
given clear instructions that under no circumstances was the Guru
Granth Sahib to be taken to the Akal Takht if the conditions were not
right.
• In the early hours of the morning of 6th June
we took the holy book down and performed
the religious rites that are performed every
day, like maharaj da prakash karna (unfolding
the holy book) and reciting hymns from the
scriptures. The two side-doors were closed
and the front and back doors were open.
Bullets kept hitting the wall both inside and
outside, ripping off the gold surface at various
places. Soon after we finished reciting
prayers one of our colleagues, Ragi Avtar
Singh was hit. We pulled him into a corner.
Another bullet came and hit the holy Granth
Sahib. We have preserved this Granth ji.
• Around 5pm they announced on
loudspeakers that those hiding in the
Harmandir Sahib should come out and
that they would not be shot dead. While
myself and Giani Mohan Singh
remained inside, others walked out with
the arms above their heads."
• With the lifting of the curfew innocent
Sikhs thought that by coming out from
hiding they would now be safe. Sadly
this was not the case.
• Brahm Chellany, the only foreign
correspondent who managed to remain
in Amritsar after the government had
ordered them out, reported the
statements of doctors and police
officials that many of the Sikhs killed in
the attack had been shot at point-blank
range with their hands behind their
backs, Execution Style. Some of these
bodies with hands tied behind the back
were photographed.
• This is also borne out by the testimonies of
survivors. While the Darbar Sahib was under
attack, other Army units were battling their
way into 74 other gurudwaras in Punjab. In
their book, "The Sikh Struggle," Ramnarain
Kumar and Georg Sieberer write: "The Army
which had suffered a heavy toll in three days
of battle went berserk and killed every Sikh
who could be found inside the temple
complex. They were hauled out of the rooms,
brought to corridors on the circumference of
the temple and with their hands tied behind
their back, were shot in cold blood. Among
the victims were many old men women and
children."
• 2500 copies of Guru Granth Sahib jee
were set on fire in the Golden Temple
library by the Indian army.
The Aftermath
• Indira Gandhi who ordered the attack
was killed in Nov 84 by her body
guards, who visited the Golden Temple
in June and vowed to take revenge.
Beant Singh who had shot her was
killed on spot, other two helpers were
hanged to death.
84-03 The injustice Continues
This youth was first dressed like a girl, complete with bangles, nail polish,
braids and face powder, and then killed. How would the police justify this
encounter?
Where is Our Justice??
The best Halloween costume award goes
to:
Runner Up
United Sikh Students of NJIT
------------2003-----------Thx to the following websites:
http://www.panthkhalsa.org
http://waheguroo.com
http://www.sikhs.org/
http://www.maboli.com/
http://www.sikh-history.com/
http://www.sikhlionz.com/
http://sikhtoons.com/
http://www.sikhlionz.com/indiragandhigame.htm