Chandigarh: The families of the victims affected by the 1984 Sikh Genocide expressed their pain and feelings through a press conference held on Wednesday in Chandigarh. After years of seeking justice in courts, they stated that their patience has run out as they are constantly met with long delays and excuses.
It has been 39 years since this deliberate act of genocide took place. Despite ongoing investigations against the accused, including Sajjan Kumar, Kamal Nath, and Jagdish Tytler, conducted by various investigating agencies, justice remains elusive. The families of the victims voiced their concerns at the press conference.
Under the leadership of former president of All India Sikh Students Federation and (SAD) Shiromani Akali Dal leader, Karnail Singh Peermohammad, the families of the victims, along with President of the Sikh Welfare Welfare Society Surjit Singh Dugri, Bibi Gurdeep Kaur, Jaswinder Singh and widows who lost their husbands in the 1984 Sikh Genocide, made serious allegations against the BJP government. They criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to deliver justice to the Sikh community so far.
In response to this situation, Peermohammad announced that the victims’ families will organize a large protest on November 5, 2023, to commemorate the martyred individuals and demand justice in Ludhiana.
President of Sikh Victims’ Family Welfare Society, Surjit Singh Dugri, and Bibi Gurdeep Kaur condemned the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his bureaucracy for mistreating the victims’ families. They highlighted the cancellation of red cards and the illegal occupation of flats allocated to Sikh families involved in the genocide, allegedly at the behest of a former Congress minister.
The families requested Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to allocate time to meet with them so they can express their concerns. Mr. Peermohammad also reminded the (SGPC) Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee of their commitment to build a martyrdom memorial at Hondh Chillar Rewari, Haryana. He urged them to fulfill this promise, along with establishing a special quota for coaching centers in the Nishche Academy to assist the children of victimized families preparing for the UPSC exams.
He further appealed for focused efforts to provide employment opportunities to the children of the victims’ families of Sikhs. EOM
