I am not a big fan of our Prime Minister Modi’s “Mann ki Baat” radio broadcasts. At times I do feel like it is more of a PR exercise. But then, at least someone is trying to connect to the commons even after winning a clear majority. Otherwise, India has also seen times when a person sitting on the throne considers himself/herself no less than a deity and takes the pain of coming down to enquire public’s well-being only during elections. This drama can still be witnessed in the politics of several states.
Jhon Calvin Maxwell, a renowned American author and speaker, who has written many books primarily focusing on leadership, writes “Good Leaders must communicate vision clearly, creatively, and continually. However, the vision doesn’t come alive until the leader models it.” Well, talking in respect to this quote and taking in consideration Modi’s acts and policies, I guess he quite fits the portrait of an able leader. He is a tough competition for many in politics and no doubt why attracts an equal number of haters as admirers.
Coming back to Mann ki Baat, on the occasion of Deepawali, PM Modi addressed the nation with yet another broadcast of his “communication approach”. However, the talk which began with Diwali greetings and cherishing the courage and fervency of the Soldiers guarding us on the borders, was later directed to various schemes and initiatives by the current Modi government and the role of states and common people in it (he never takes all the credit himself, and that I guess, is one of the reasons why Modi is adored so much!). But one more thing which caught my attention was the reference to 1984 Anti-Sikh riots, however, Modi condemned it, but didn’t say much.
I wasn’t born when this happened but history tells that some three decades back, a bloody massacre took over against the Sikhs, who were celebrated to be the most courageous, most generous, and their nerve to stand for justice and righteousness. It would not be wrong to say that it was a genocide – a state-sponsored wholesale killing.
Well, this is something that isn’t generally discussed, not even in the Sikh households. What people generally know that the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi – who was driven by a desire to be addressed as “Durga” of modern India, was assassinated by two of her “Sikh” bodyguards for sanctioning the attack on Sikh holy shrine – the Golden Temple in operation Blue Star 1984 in order to wipe out Khalistani militants. This resulted in the whole Sikh community to face the heat. After her death, a “worthy” son and the claimant to Nation’s throne quoted “when a big tree falls, the ground is bound to shake”. But the real reason why that tree fell is a whole another story of failures and ambitions. To understand that you need to know about “The Anandpur Sahib Resolution”.
Sikhs constitute one of the many persecuted minority communities in India, and their commitment to standing for justice has made them a regular target of oppression for centuries. In 1973, several Sikh leaders united and introduced the Anandpur Sahib Resolution, a document that called for a social revolution within India, demanding rights for oppressed minorities such as women, lower castes, and impoverished communities. The resolution also demanded increased state autonomy, guarantees of constitutional rights and equality of citizens regardless of caste, religion or gender.
In the face of government resistance, the Sikhs raised the banner of the Dharam Yudh Morcha, threatening to protest peacefully until the federal government acknowledged the Anandpur Sahib Resolution and implemented change. Well, as usual, the government didn’t care to respond and their voices went unheard till they started blocking off the streets (rasta roko), railways (rail roko), canals (nahar roko) and work (kam roko). In the late 1970s and early 1980s, security in Punjab started deteriorating due to State level and religious politics, leading to the sacking of the Congress-led Punjab government in 1983.These protests threatened the economic and social stability of the country.
Retaliating to the weakning of Congress, Indira Gandhi planted and supported Jarnail Singh Bindranwale to curb the demand of the Anandpur Sahib Resolution and counter the rise of Akali Dal in Punjab. But later, sensing the government conspiracy a section of Sikhs led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale turned to militancy in Punjab and demanded to create an independent state called Khalistan, based on Anandpur Sahib Resolution, through acts of violence. Bindranwale was the head of a great religious body (Damdami Taksal). He was a religious man but a weak political strategist, and this weakness was well exploited by the congress party to play their dirty games. They let other terrorist organizations rise (Babbar Khalsa and Khalistan liberation force). These organizations, which were supported by Pakistan’s ISI, were more ferocious in their ways and killed many Hindus during the time. They were also let to pass in Golden Temple complex along with assault weapons. Though a large number of Sikhs condemned the actions of the militants, this played a major role in the Government’s decision to attack the core of the Sikh community.
The government, led by the then PM Indira Gandhi, wanted to teach Punjab a lesson. To serve her own political interests, she employed popular media to project Sikhs as being anti-national and secessionist and made it an excuse to launch operation Blue Star in June 1984, which also led to an attack on Golden Temple. Not only Harmandir sahib (the Golden Temple) but 40 other Gurudwaras were also attacked. This was followed by mass killings of Sikh youth in all the villages of Punjab.
But as Newton said, “every action has an equal and opposite reaction”, in November of the same year (1984), two Sikhs named Beant Singh and Satwant Singh in Delhi police who were posted at Indira Gandhi’s residence in New Delhi, killed her. And the tree finally fell.
Now, many of you will ask wasn’t the “shaking of ground” another reaction to her murder? No, not quite. Because the ground didn’t actually shake on its own, but was deliberately made to quake. Soon after the death of Indira Gandhi, Anti-Sikh feelings were stroked throughout India by using the government machinery and rumours were spread against Sikhs.
Meanwhile, Doordarshan controlled by the govt. regularly broadcasted Mrs. Gandhi’s body lying in a state along with a grieving Rajiv Gandhi and shots of agitated crowds, which bellowed ‘khoon ka badla khoon se lengey’. The suit was followed by All India Radio too, who constantly kept inciting the killers with the words “Khoon ka badla khoon”, meaning “Take blood for blood”.
Having prepared the ground, Congress party workers commissioned trucks to bring in villagers from the outlying villages armed with iron rods and gasoline. They were assured police non-interference. It did not need much inducement to egg poor villagers to help themselves to Sikh property. All the prisons were left open for three days, and the criminals with most serious charges were set free to kill, loot, and rape. Rape was an additional bonus for these depraved Congress animals.
What followed was the brutal killing of Sikhs in Delhi, Kanpur, Rourkela and other cities in all over India in which more than 15,000 Sikhs were murdered in broad daylight by the supporters of Indira Gandhi while police watched, all this when India had a Sikh president but without any power.
In April 2014, a sting operation conducted by Cobrapost claimed that the government didn’t allow Delhi Police to act in 1984 riots. It further claimed that messages were broadcast directing police to not take action against rioters. Even fire brigade refused to move to areas where cases of arson were reported.
The army was confined to barracks for three full days to allow free rein to organized gangs carrying Sikh voter lists, armed with identical steel rods and an unusually plentiful supply of kerosene, to go around the capital in municipal buses beating and burning male Sikhs and gang-raping women and young girls. Prominent Hindus and Sikhs begged the new Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, to order troops to restore order. His chilling response was: “When a big tree falls, the ground is bound to shake”.
Of these 6000-7000 died on Delhi roads in broad daylight and after a score of commissions and inquiry committees, that were convinced of the involvement of congress(I) politicians and workers, justice has still eluded the Sikhs as the killers continue to walk on Delhi roads.
A Human Rights Watch report published in 1991 on violence between Sikhs and the Government of India traces part of the problem back to the government response to the violence:
“Despite numerous credible eye-witness accounts that identified many of those involved in the violence, including police and politicians, in the months following the killings, the government sought no prosecutions or indictments of any persons, including officials, accused in any case of murder, rape or arson.”
Even the US was convinced of the Congress government’s hand in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and termed it as “opportunism” and “hatred” of the government against Sikhs.
Since the time, several books have been written and many movies have been made, but the justice hasn’t served yet. It has been 32 years since it happened, but still, many eyes go wet during this time of the year. A slight reference to this topic still refreshes old wounds to many and the so-called young leaders of the Congress party, who keep crying for having lost their family to politics, go mute whenever they are asked about it.
This was undeniably the most horrible thing in the history of independent India. The country failed to protect the community that protects the country. No one is unaware of the role of Punjab in the economy, integrity, and security of this Nation. Many were killed, dislocated, many had to flee from their own land; but still, the hope refuses to break.
It is said that “justice delayed is justice denied”, but when the Prime Minister Modi revisited the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, it gave a new spark to the hope for justice.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_anti-Sikh_riots#Impact_and_legacy
http://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/remembering-the-massacre-of-sikhs-in-june-of-4_b_3377276