40 yrs on, survivors recall tragic moments, vow fight to the finish

Emotions ran high at the national capital's Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib where survivors of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots once again gathered on Sunday as part of an annual ritual to honour the memory of the victims.

Holding back tears, Darshan Kaur, who was nursing an infant son and two toddlers at the time of the riots, recounted the day her life changed forever.

A mob descended on her home and despite her repeated pleas for mercy, unleashed the worst form of brutality.

Kaur watched her husband die at the hands of blood thirsty crowds.

"We had no television, no warning and no news that Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had been assassinated. By the time we learned of her death on November 1, 1984, chaos had already erupted. They (mobs) came, threw bottles filled with chemicals at our home, and my husband was taken from me," said Darshan Kaur after lighting the candle in the memory of nearly 2,800 Sikhs who were killed as revenge after the death of Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.

Kaur says 40 years have passed since the tragedy struck but most families are still grieving for their loved ones.

"Justice remains elusive but we will fight to the finish," she says referring to the litany of court cases the surviving families are fighting.

Santok Sethi, a retired civil servant and sports commentator, who also witnessed the 1984 carnage of Sikhs, said when he came back after his commentary routine for an India-Pakistan match on October 31 that year, a mob tried to torch his house.

Sethi was saved by a group of friends who cordoned him off and fought the mobs.

"My non-Sikh friends who were visiting me that day convinced the crowds that the house belonged to them and not to a Sikh. That is how I survived," Sethi recalled as Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) organised the annual Ardas (prayer) at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib to remember the victims of riots.

The prayer was followed by a lighting of candles at the 'Wall of Truth' which bears the names of all those who had been killed in the massacre following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.

Around 2,800 Sikhs died in Delhi as per official estimates. But the numbers are believed to be much higher.

On Sunday, the families of riot victims will again gather at Jantar Mantar at 11 am and demand justice.

After the ardas, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee chief Harmeet Singh Kalka said the Sikh community had been fighting for justice for 40 years since the riots, where thousands were burnt alive.

"We hold this prayer meeting every year to remember them. Until we get justice, our fight will continue. A Truth Commission has been demanded to ensure justice and declare the 1984 violence as genocide," he added.

Lawyer HS Phoolka, who has waged legal battles on the behalf of anti-Sikh riot victims, said the massacre, which started after the assassination of PM Indira Gandhi, was premeditated and not an impromptu reaction.

He said instead of punishing the leaders involved in the anti-Sikh riots, the Congress elevated and promoted them.

The scene at the gurdwara was filled with emotions as women who lost their husbands during the massacre came draped in whites, as a mark of respect and solidarity. As the candles lit, they could barely hold back tears.