Sikh panel demands SITs in all states that saw ’84 Genocide

Bathinda, Punjab: Demanding the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in all states of the country where Sikhs were killed in November 1984, the Hondh Chillar Taalmel Committee of Sikhs has questioned the Sikh leaders for demanding a SIT only in Delhi. The Sikh panel of the committee that dug out the Sikh massacre case in Hondh Chillar of Haryana also criticised the ruling SAD-BJP alliance for its failure to issue red cards to the victims of the 1984 genocide.

The committee had submitted a copy of the data of Sikhs massacred in different states to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. It had announced to stage a protest for indefinite period in front of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s house if the demand for constitution of SIT in all affected states was not met.

Just a few days after the probe by Justice Garg began in Hondh Chillar’s Sikh massacre, the All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) and Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) brought to light in April last year about the Sikh massacre that took place at Haily Mandi–Pataudi, Gudha Kemla and Kaneena mandi of Haryana.

The committee members, along with the victims of Hondh Chillar, on Thursday claimed that 32 Sikhs were brutally killed in Hondh Chillar, 17 in Pataudi, 47 in Gurgaon and 200 Sikhs were killed in areas of Tavrdoo, Faridabad, Rohtak and Hisar in Haryana. The committee also demanded the issuance of red cards to the victims of the 1984 genocide.

Sikh leader Manwinder Singh Giaspura, who headed the committee here on Thursday, claimed that around 370 Sikhs were killed in Bihar, 515 in Uttar Pradesh, 260 in Maharashtra, 55 in Rajasthan, 50 in Himachal Pradesh, 48 in Madhya Pradesh, 33 in West Bengal, 22 in Tamil Nadu, 21 in Orissa, 20 in Jammu and Kashmir, 11 in Goa, six in Gujarat, 14 in Karnataka and seven Sikhs were killed in Assam.

Manwinder Singh said, “Was the killing of Sikhs in other states besides in Delhi justified? A number of victims of Kanpur, where the Sikhs were burnt alive, are now living in Ludhiana while many of them have got no compensation. Even across the state, the victims are waiting for compensation and the political leaders are playing petty politics to gain their votes.”

Source: HT