1984 Sikh pogrom: Memories of violence and 33 years of injustice haunt survivors

The massacre of Sikhs from October 31 to November 5, 33 years ago is one of the darkest chapters in the history of India. The pogrom began soon after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31.

According to estimates over 3000 Sikhs were slaughtered by violent mobs across the country. The worst hit was the national capital. Homes where Sikhs lived were set on fire and many Sikhs were shot or hacked to death. Many witnesses remember the sight of Sikh men being set on fire with a tyre around their neck.

Several members of the ruling Congress party are said to have played a role in instigating the mobs and taking part in the attacks.  The police remained mute spectators as mobs mercilessly butchered innocent Sikhs.

Neither were the leaders who instigated the mobs brought to book and very few of the police officials who allowed the violence to take place, were punished.  The Sikhs whose loved ones were killed in the violence and whose homes were destroyed are still haunted by the ghosts of the massacre. They remain afflicted with another wound - 33 years of injustice

33 years after the massacre, Amnesty India has prepared a photo digest that “presents a glimpse into the lives of these forgotten people”.

“The screams of the victims still echo in the narrow lanes of neighbourhoods where thousands were butchered. It is time for India to ensure that the injustice for massacre of 1984 does not remain a festering sore,” Amnesty India writes.  

Here are some of the survivors Amnesty has documented in its photo digest.

Bhagi Kaur

Bhagi Kaur's husband and 7 relatives were killed in 1984.  Speaking to Amnesty India, she said,  “To everyone else, the massacre took place 33 years ago, but for me it just feels like it all happened yesterday. Almost my entire family was wiped out in front of my eyes, and even after so many years we haven’t got any justice. The culprits are still roaming free".

Shanti Devi

Shanti Devi Migrated from Trilokpuri to Tilak Vihar (Delhi). Her husband and brother-in- law were killed in the pogrom. “They killed my husband and brother-in- law with swords. My brother-in- law was lying around with his stomach cut open. God is witness to my pain. We were begging for water. The images of the atrocities committed in 1984 haunt
me even today," she told Amnesty India.

Lakshmi Kaur

Lakshmi Kaur's husband, five brothers and other relatives were killed.

She told Amnesty India, "They put a tyre filled with petrol around my husband’s neck and set it on fire outside a police station. A middle-aged man from the mob came back at night and tried to touch me inappropriately. When I resisted, he went out and called his entire group. They searched my house and killed all the eight men hiding inside".

"I was regularly threatened and harassed so I decided to withdraw my case. I was scared to pursue it," she adds.

Gurmail Singh

Presently living in Raniganj in West Bengal, Gurmail Singh recalled, “I was a truck driver. Several times, I was targeted on the road by marauders, but thankfully I escaped every time. I was being held responsible for something I hadn’t done, just because of my religion. For almost 14 days, I was away from my family.

Joginder Kaur

Joginder Kaur's husband was killed and her mother-in- law went missing in 1984.

“My husband was attacked with swords and sticks. He was lying on a bed without moving for three days, our children were sitting close to him and not ready to move. A mob entered our home again on the third day of the violence and killed him. We lost everything in 1984 - our future, our progress…everything. My younger son was in depression and now he has been missing since the last five years. I am in living hell,” she told Amnesty India.