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Inescapable Shadow of 1984
Jagmohan Singh
 Whoever wins
elections, the shadow of 1984 is going to haunt the people of this
country for times immemorial. One shoe got rid of two
devils-incarnate who are now taking recourse to crocodile tears on
prime time television.
Most Indians
believe in the bhoot that haunts after death. In this case,
over a period of 48 hours, more than 3000 people were burnt alive.
Justice has not been done. Their soul will continue to haunt, till
justice is done and seen to be done.
This week,
Jagdish Tytler was given reprieve by a
Delhi
court in a defamation case filed by activist advocate Harvinder
Singh Phoolka. Jagdish Tytler and the Congress ensured that his
protégé Mr. Aggarwal was given party nomination in his place.
Jagdish Tytler went on to participate in an “open people’s court” on
India TV and shed tears pleading his innocence. His face looked
like a guilty person’s face and the tears the output of glycerine.
Sajjan Kumar’s
brother was given nomination in his place. P. Chidambram is shying
away from press meets. Sukhbir Singh Badal and Parkash Singh Badal
are pointing the accusing finger at the Congress, whilst the
Bharatiya Janta Party is attempting to be pro-Sikh saying,
“Operation Bluestar was a blunder.”
Harvinder Singh
Phoolka is threatened with dire consequences in an open court.
A systematic,
premeditated game of hide and seek in on with the Sikhs. No party’s
manifesto or leaders talk of any administrative, legal or political
steps to be taken to ensure implementation of rule of law for all
peoples at all times and under all circumstances. Human Rights are
not on the agenda of any country-level or regional party.
Civil rights
bodies want justice for the Sikhs but are understandably
pre-occupied with the misery of ethnic Tamils in
Sri Lanka.
So will justice
be delivered or will the Sikhs have to some day themselves set up
Nuremberg trials? Amnesty International says, “Twenty-five years
after the massacre of thousands of Sikhs in India, following the
assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984, the country's
government has failed to bring to justice those responsible.”
"It has been 25
years since the massacre and only a tiny fraction of those
responsible have been brought to justice. It is a national
disgrace," said Ramesh Gopalakrishnan, researcher with Amnesty
International Indian section.
The Indian government only filed 587 cases of criminal wrongdoing
after the massacre. It has closed investigations into many more
cases, citing lack of evidence.
There have been nine commissions of inquiry into the killings in the
past 25 years. Only 25 people have been convicted for taking part in
the killings. Most of the 72 police officers who were charged with
dereliction of duty and offering protection to the attackers were
exonerated; only four officers received any form of official
punishment, including a reduction in their pensions.
Amnesty International has demanded that "After 25 years and nine
commissions of inquiry, the Indian government can and should do
better. They must now re-open each case and properly investigate,
with a view to finally bringing justice and closure to the victims
and survivors of this terrible massacre."
22
April 2009
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