30th Anniversary of Sikh Genocide: All India Sikh Student Federation For “Punjab Bandh” on Nov 1

Amritsar, Punjab: To challenge the 30 years of impunity of the Congress party leaders who orchestrated the 1984 genocide of Sikhs, and to highlight the practice of politics that has overshadowed the “Issue of Justice” for the victims, All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) gave a call for ‘Punjab Bandh” on November 1st. 2014 November will be 30 years since, after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the Congress leaders organized and orchestrated genocidal attacks targeting the Sikh community throughout India. The attacks on Sikh lives, properties and places of worship were carried out in a meticulous and identical manner resulting in more than 30,000 Sikhs being killed, with most of them burnt alive, hundreds of Sikh women being raped, Sikh Gurdwaras being burnt, Sikh properties looted and more than 300,000 Sikhs being uprooted and displaced.

Justifying the call for November 1st “Punjab Bandh,” AISSF President Karnail Singh Peermohammad, along with Bibi Jagdish Kaur who was prime witness to the Sajjan Kumar case, her son Gurdeep Singh Goldy , Kanwarbir Singh Gill senior leader of International Sikh Organization, Jagmohan Singh, Bibi Balwinder Kaur, Charnjit Singh Amritsar stated that after having lost faith with the Indian legal system, 1984 Sikh genocide victims have now approached the people of Punjab for their support to seek justice. The Federation President stated, to show solidarity with 1984 Sikh genocide victims, “We appeal to the people of Punjab and the SAD (Badal) government to support the November 1st “Bandh” call and keep government offices, businesses and educational institutions closed for a day.” AISSF President stated that despite recommendations of the Nanavati Commission, successive Congress governments shielded the high ranking Congress leaders from prosecution for their role in November 1984. “Since BJP-SAD is now in power at Delhi, victims demand that cases should be filed against Kamal Nath, Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler.”

“Justice for the 1984 victims does not mean “Votes” for political leaders who use this issue during elections but ‘Convictions” of those responsible for the Sikh Genocide added Peermohammad. The Sikh human rights groups have developed a consensus that the recent discoveries of mass killings of Sikhs in more than 100 cities throughout India proves that November 1984 is genocide as defined in Article 2 of the UN Convention on genocide. The gravity, scale, organized and intentional nature of these genocidal attacks was concealed by the Indian governments by portraying them as “Anti-Sikh Pogroms of Delhi.” The recently discovered evidence shows that more than 37,000 claims for deaths and injuries were filed by the victims of November 1984, out of which more than 20,000 claims were by victims who were attacked outside of Delhi. AISSF, 1984 victims and human rights activists have started a “Torch of Justice” campaign which will pass through Hondh-Chillar, Kanpur, Bokaro, Jharkhand and Delhi. A delegation of Sikh genocide survivors and AISSF will carry the “Torch of Justice” from Delhi to New York reaching U.N. headquarters on November 7th.”

Source: PunjabiSikhSangat.Org