Sunday, 2 November 2014

‘Rights and Justice March’ Sikh Genocide 1984

It's far gone conclusion that the Sikhs would never get justice in the
present Indian dispensation: Dal Khalsa
 
 
Amritsar- Commemorating the 30th year of the Delhi massacre, leaders and
activists of various Sikh bodies led by Dal Khalsa, Damdami Taksal and SAD
(Panch Pardani) today undertook a long march under the banner of ‘Rights
and Justice March’ to knock the doors of the United Nations to petition
against Indian state for utterly failing to deliver justice to aggrieved
community and victims of Nov 1984 massacre.
 
 
 
A cavalcade of around 100 vehicles today proceeded towards Delhi to meet UN
officials seeking world body's regular and systematic intervention. Waving
the saffron flags, holding placards and raising slogans, the young
activists of the Sikh Youth of Punjab, led the march on the streets of the
city. To spread the message to passer-by, a big float was designed with
slogans and photographs explaining the pain and injustice done to the
community in Nov 1984. Earlier an ardas was performed at Akal Takht to pay
homage to those who were killed in the carnage in Delhi and elsewhere.
 
 
 
Dal Khalsa head H S Dhami and Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa said it was far gone
conclusion that the Sikhs would never get justice in the present Indian
dispensation. Dhami said Sikh and Muslim community were victim of 'politics
of genocide' perpetuated by both the pro-Indian mainstream parties
(Congress and BJP) that have full backing of the establishment.
 
 
 
 
 
Both the leaders said it’s ironic that in Nov, 30 years ago, officially
2733 Sikhs and unofficially close to 8000 were killed, but the country and
its people refuse to acknowledge it as a massacre, carnage or attempted
genocidal pogrom and have reduced it in writing and oral parlance as a riot
between the Sikhs and non-Sikhs.
 
 
 
 
 
Explaining the rationale behind the march to UN, Dhami said pushed to the
wall and having exhausted all internal legal and political forums, we see
no place for refuge except the United Nations and its various
institutions.
 
 
 
He told the media that on Monday a joint memorandum by representatives of
all ethnic and religious minorities including Muslims, Christians,
Kashmiris, Tamils and Nagas would be submitted at UN headquarters after the
conclusion of Rights and Justice rally at Jantar Mantar, Delhi.
 
 
 
He said they would demand a resolution by the United Nations into the role
of all the organs of the then government of India in November 1984 mass
killings of the Sikhs, including the barbaric assaults on Sikh women, on
the lines of United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution adopted on 19
March 2014 on Sri Lanka for committing alleged serious human rights
violations and abuses of Tamil population.
 
 
 
Firing a salvo at Modi Sarkar for announcing compensation to victims
families, he said the Sikhs don't need their doles and money.
 
 
 
Terming the compensation as fake justice, he said the real and complete
justice would be done the day there would be a peaceful resolution of the
conflict that gave rise to genocidal pogroms against the Sikhs, like the
one in Delhi in November 1984 and the Indian armed forces attack on Akal
Takht Sahib in June 1984.
 
 
 
The aspirations, the problems and the grievances that put Punjab on the map
in the last decades of the last century still continue to fester and
inflict pain to Punjabi's and Sikhs, said the organizers of the march.
 
 
 
Kanwar Pal Singh said the minorities in India were living in dangerous
times and we fear more threats as time passes by.  Referring to massacre of
minorities, he said India as a notion did not die on 1-2 November 1984 for
the first time. It has died before and since in Kashmir, Gujarat, Orissa
many times over.
 
 
 
He said the present incumbents to power in the country were clearly
determined to create a Hindu state and they are entitled to their wishes
and dreams. Similarly, we too are entitled to our regional, religious and
nationalist aspirations by virtue of our birth, history and legacy and as
per the UN charter it is bounding duty of United Nations to ensure that
this right is not snatched away by the state.
 
 
 
He said the present day Punjab was reeling under massive drug abuse
threatening the lives of the younger generation. Significantly this has
been made possible by design and default.
 
 
 
A large number of Panthic personalities joined the march that includes
former jathedar Gaini Kewal Singh, SAD (Panch Pardani) leader Kulbir
Singh Barapind and Mandhir Singh, Paramjit Singh Gazi, Baba Baljit
Singh Daduwal head of Panthic Sewa Lehar, Bhai Mohkam Singh chairman
of United Sikh Movement, Balwant Singh Gopala of Sikh Youth Federation
Bhindrawala, Baba Ajit Singh Lohgarh, Baba Sajjan Singh, Baljit Singh
Khalsa, Sandeep Kaur.