6 Assu Nanakshahi 539

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City of Djinns: A Photo-essay
by Jagmohan Singh

Photographs: from the Archives of
Harvinder Singh Phoolka

For the Sikhs, Delhi is indeed a ‘City of Djinns’, as labelled by noted writer William Dalrymple. This city beheaded the ninth master, Guru Tegh Bhadur Sahib. Power centres in Delhi have invariably legislated against the aspirations of the Sikh people.

These pictures speak for themselves. On the streets of Delhi, the lumpens and leaders of India hunted the Sikhs. Burning tyres around the neck of hapless victims were the key weapons, with full support of the police and administration.

Most of these pictures are from Connaught Place and Lutyens Road- two areas where crème de la crème of Delhi live and is supposedly a high security zone. ‘Security, for whom? The people? The killers?

Once upon a time Connaught Place belonged to the Sikhs. Since November 1984 happened, ‘Connaught Place’ has been renamed ‘Rajiv Chowk’. I sometimes wonder that in a sinister way, it is correct that it has been so named.

Next time, when you are in Delhi and you happened to go to CP, nay, Rajiv Chowk remember that it was Rajiv Gandhi who made the first clarion call to decimate Sikhs in Delhi and across the country. History will soon record how this scion of the Gandhi family masterminded the carnage.

31 October, 2007