1984 riots: Rs admits calling attention notice

Lily

B.R
Staff member
Chandigarh November 26:

More than 25 years after thousands of innocent Sikhs were killed in the 1984 riots, a calling attention notice given by Tarlochan Singh on progress of relief to the victims has been admitted by the Rajya Sabha. It will now come up for discussion on December 1.

Tarlochan Singh, former Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities, had in his notice reminded the Union Home Minister that though the Union Government had announced a package of relief, no action had yet been taken against the culprits, especially the police officials, who defaulted while being on duty.

He wanted the Union Home Minister to give a detailed statement on the progress of relief and measures being taken to punish the guilty. Tarlochan Singh has also moved a private Members’ resolution to be included in the list of business for Friday, December 11.

The resolution wants the Upper House to express grief over the death of thousands of Sikhs in Delhi and elsewhere in the aftermath of the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31,1984. In his resolution, Tarlochan Singh states that though official figures state that 2,733 Sikhs were murdered in November 1984 in Delhi, the actual figure was of over 4,000 killings. Additionally, 3,000 more Sikhs were killed in other parts of the country.

Tarlochan Singh further states in his resolution that hundreds of Sikh temples and thousands of houses belonging to the Sikh community besides their commercial establishments were also burnt during the riots. Also taxis, trucks and buses with Sikh symbols painted on them were also burnt.

The Union Government appointed various committees and commissions to inquire into uncalled for carnage of the Sikhs. Various committees including those headed by Ved Marwah, Kusum Mittal, Jain Aggarwal, Potty Rosa and Justice RS Narula besides the Mishra Commission and Justice Nanavati Commission were given the mandate to find out those responsible for the country’s worst-ever carnage directed against a community.

Tarlochan Singh further maintains in his resolution that many of the police officials involved were subsequently given promotions even though a committee or a commission had indicted them. On January 16, 2006, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a compensation package for the victims but quite a large umber of victims never got any relief or compensation from the government. Victims and their families were even denied jobs on compassionate grounds.

In the last 25 years, only 20 persons have been convicted for the killing of thousands of Sikhs. Tarlochan Singh now wants the house to express grief over the death of such a large number of innocent people, both during Operation Blue Star and the November 1984 riots. He wants the Union Government to bring an official resolution before Parliament to show regret for these disgraceful events and to resolve to punish the guilty besides paying adequate compensation to the innocent victims.
 
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