Global Sikh diaspora anguished over Kamal Nath''s taking over as MP CM

Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, December 18

Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath’s taking over as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister has sparked a deep indignation of the members of the global Punjabi diaspora who have sought stern action against powerful people and Congress leaders---Kamal Nath, Jagdish Tytler and Amitabh Bachchan—for allegedly having instigating ‘genocidal violence’ against Sikhs in November 1984.

After staging its victory in recent assembly elections in three states, the Congress has crowned former Union minister Kamal Nath as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.

Hailing the Delhi High Court conviction of senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the Sikh Coordination Committee East Coast (SCCEC) and the World Sikh Organisation (WSO) have said Kamal Nath was accused of leading a violent mob that that burned a number of Sikhs in Delhi during the 1984 ‘genocide’.

“Not only this, he (Kamal Nath) was identified by numerous witnesses including, a journalist for having led a mob of over 4,000 people which had mounted attack on gurdwara Raqab Ganj on November 1, 1984,” alleged the World Sikh Organisation (WSO) of Canada. The WSO also said a prominent English daily had also reported criticism of role of certain politicians and had indicated that several councilors had interceded on behalf of mobs when policemen had tried to stop the arson.

“It took a long 34 years to get conviction of one of the ring leaders of the 1984 Sikh massacre while many more like Jagdish Tytler, Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Nath are still enjoying privileged positions in the ‘corrupt’ Indian system,” alleged the New York-based SCCEC Coordinator Himmat Singh.

He said Kamal Nath was ‘charged’ by Nanavati Commission three decades back with killing of Sikhs by burning them alive near Raqab Ganj gurdwara in Delhi but, no FIR or a case has ever been registered against him due to his ‘privileged position’ in the  Indian establishment.

“Kamal Nath and Amitabh Bachchan who had incided the mobs to kill the Sikhs by shouting slogans like ‘Khoon Ka Badla Khoon’ should be prosecuted alongwith the members of the Gandhi family for their heinous crimes,” demanded Himmat Singh.

The SCCEC said though Sajjan Kumar was finally convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment, he is still walking free rather than being in a jail. “The likely appeal in Indian Supreme Court can take long time while he may remain free on bail,” said SCCEC representative Harjinder Singh.

“We salute the tenacity of 77-year-old widow and witness Jagdish Kaur whose five family members were killed by a mob led by Sajjan Kumar and who fought the case fearlessly for over 34 years despite having faced threats to her life,” said Mississagua (Toronto) based para-legal adviser Deepinder Loomba. Deepak Punj, a Brampton-based radio station owner, said though the justice was ‘delayed’ but, the good part was that it was finally delivered to the victims.