Too late, say riot victims

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, December 17

For 58-year-old Narinder Kaur and 76-year-old Ajit Singh, both 1984 riot victims, the life term to former MP Sajjan Kumar by the Delhi High Court is not of much consequence as the decision has come 34 years after the riots.

“Many people might be hailing the decision, but what will we get out of it now. The riots destroyed us completely. We lost our kin, houses, businesses and properties. Our life, which was shattered, is yet to come on track,” said Narinder Kaur along with some other riot victims, who have been putting up in small houses in the Danga Peerit Colony at Phase 11 here.

Narinder Kaur said she had seen a person being killed in their locality, Trilokpuri, in Delhi. “My husband had gone missing for around five days. Our two cabs were charred by the rioters. I was pregnant then and we only know how we managed to reach Chandigarh, where we were put up in camps. We are still to come to terms with the tragedy,” said Narinder Kaur with tears in her eyes.

Narrating his trauma, septuagenarian Ajit Singh said his brother, who was clean-shaven, saved his and some other persons’ lives by making them sit in his truck. “I was doing good business of bus body parts in Delhi, but we had to run from Delhi, leaving everything behind,” he said.

Parkash Kaur (60), whose family also lost its house, business and properties in the riots, said even 34 years after the riots, the life of most of the riot victim families had not yet come back on track.

“We are least bothered about convictions and jail terms to the accused in the case now. Is it meaningful to us after 34 years of the riots? Most of us (victims) are doing menial jobs to make both ends meet,” said the victims in unison while demanding government jobs for their wards.