Survivors of anti-Sikh riots hail Sajjan’s conviction
Survivors of the 1984 Sikh riots have expressed deep relief and hailed the court’s verdict convicting Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, describing it as a long-awaited moment of justice.
Many survivors recalled their harrowing experiences during the violence, saying the verdict has brought them a sense of closure and relief.
Kulpreet Vesuna, a survivor, recalled the horrors of the riot, recounting, “I was 11 years old when this happened. My father was a civil engineer, well-known in the community. Our house was in C-1/1 in Janakpuri, but we had just moved to C-2 block a month or two prior. Our house was completely burnt and it became a place where people were burned alive. The dead were also burned there. When people realised I had survived, our neighbour, an Army officer, let us stay at his place for a while.” Vesuna also recalled a close encounter with a mob, who had come to kill them, but the Army officer bravely defended them, saying they would have to step over him to reach them. Thankfully, the mob eventually left.
Another survivor, Harmeet Pal Singh from Janakpuri, shared his relief, saying, “I was in my early teens at the time. We had a guest who left in the morning and later called us, saying something was wrong. When the news of the riots spread, my mother dressed me as a girl to avoid being recognised as a Sikh boy. We stayed at home for several days, and luckily, our house wasn’t attacked. The police eventually arrived and took us to a safer place, and we moved to Punjab to rebuild our lives.” Singh welcomed the court’s verdict, adding, “There are so many eyewitnesses and evidence of his involvement. There’s no doubt that the government at that time supported it. Though justice was delayed, at least it’s finally being served.”
Jaspal Singh, a 92-year-old survivor from Kalkaji, recalled the violence in his area. He said, “In our neighbourhood, people gathered, and processions took place. Shops owned by Sikhs were trashed, their goods thrown out, and their houses were burned down. We requested refuge from the house owners on the upper floor, but they refused, saying they’d end up in trouble too.” Singh believes that Sajjan Kumar should face life imprisonment for his role in the violence. “They burnt people alive, beat them up, and went to another locality to do the same,” he said.
Babu Singh Dukhiya, who was 29 during the riots, said, “The massacre was started by Sajjan Kumar. While many people told us to move on, we never lost hope that justice would come one day. Today, justice has been served. This was the biggest massacre in the country after independence. I thank the judge for bringing us justice, and I’m glad the High Court is finally waking up.”
The survivors’ emotional reactions underscore the long and painful journey for justice, with many expressing gratitude to the court for convicting Sajjan Kumar, who has been found guilty of his involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
