Trilokpuri Sikhs disenchanted with Prime Minister
Manoj Kumar
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 11
Sikh families of Trilokpuri, the worst affected trans-Yamuna locality in the anti-Sikh riots, are disenchanted with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from whom they have high hopes of getting justice.
“We were delighted on the day when Ms Sonia Gandhi announced to make Dr Manmohan Singh the Prime Minister. We thought the people responsible for the riots would be punished,” a group of families residing in Trilokpuri told The Tribune today when asked about their reaction to the Nanavati report and government’s action taken report on it.
Trilokpuri, inhabited by poor Sikhs mostly doing petty jobs like carpentry and auto driving, had witnessed a worst form of violence.
“Finally I wrote a letter to the Prime Minister before the marriage of my daughter in January this year requesting him to arrange some government financial aid for the marriage of my fifth daughter. I thought as a father he would understand how difficult it is to marry a daughter for a widow,” says Gurcharan Kaur (50) with tears in her eyes. “I had never asked for any help. Only the God knows how I raised my six daughters and a son after the killing of my husband, Naik Teja Singh, who had left for his duty in military uniform on November 2, 1984, at 5 am. He was brutally murdered by the crowd led by leaders of our locality,” she said.
“My daughter finally got married, but even today I am waiting for government assistance from the first Sikh Prime Minister of this country.”
“My husband showed the mob his identity card, pleaded for mercy but in vain. He was attacked by swords and lathis. He ran for a while but was overpowered. The protesters threw kerosene on him and pushed the body in the drainage. Someone even threw a stone on his half burnt face,” she said.
“Today I am getting a pension of Rs 2,200 per month and the compensation of Rs 3.30 lakh received a few years ago was spend on the marriage of two daughters,” she said.
Another letter was written by Riazu-din, a Supreme Court clerk, on the behalf of Nazar Singh, who lost his father Santokh Singh in the riots.
SAD stages dharna
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 11
Not satisfied with the Prime Minister’s assurance and resignation of Minister of State for Overseas Affairs Jagdish Tytler, Shiromani Akali Dal workers and 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims sat on a dharna at Parliament Street today, demanding registration of cases against Congress leaders, indicted by the Nanavati Commission, besides setting up of special courts to deal with the cases.
“We are not satisfied with Tytler’s resignation. We want four Congress leaders, whose names have appeared in the Nanavati Commission report and suspected police officials to be booked under the Section 302 of the IPC, ” General Secretary of SAD Onkar Singh Thapar said.
As per Mr Thapar, workers and victims, led by Akali Dal Delhi unit president Avtar Singh Hit had been sitting on a dharna since yesterday, after a demonstration against the action taken report on commission’s findings.
Expressing dissatisfaction at the assurance given by the Prime Minister in Parliament yesterday, Mr Thapar said it was not a question of money or compensation.” We want punishment for the guilty,” he said.
The protesters also burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and raised slogans against the Congress as well as the UPA government.
Former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma, Ms Jaya Jaitly, Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and social activist Nafisa Ali also joined them during different parts of the day to show their support.
Manoj Kumar
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 11
Sikh families of Trilokpuri, the worst affected trans-Yamuna locality in the anti-Sikh riots, are disenchanted with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from whom they have high hopes of getting justice.
“We were delighted on the day when Ms Sonia Gandhi announced to make Dr Manmohan Singh the Prime Minister. We thought the people responsible for the riots would be punished,” a group of families residing in Trilokpuri told The Tribune today when asked about their reaction to the Nanavati report and government’s action taken report on it.
Trilokpuri, inhabited by poor Sikhs mostly doing petty jobs like carpentry and auto driving, had witnessed a worst form of violence.
“Finally I wrote a letter to the Prime Minister before the marriage of my daughter in January this year requesting him to arrange some government financial aid for the marriage of my fifth daughter. I thought as a father he would understand how difficult it is to marry a daughter for a widow,” says Gurcharan Kaur (50) with tears in her eyes. “I had never asked for any help. Only the God knows how I raised my six daughters and a son after the killing of my husband, Naik Teja Singh, who had left for his duty in military uniform on November 2, 1984, at 5 am. He was brutally murdered by the crowd led by leaders of our locality,” she said.
“My daughter finally got married, but even today I am waiting for government assistance from the first Sikh Prime Minister of this country.”
“My husband showed the mob his identity card, pleaded for mercy but in vain. He was attacked by swords and lathis. He ran for a while but was overpowered. The protesters threw kerosene on him and pushed the body in the drainage. Someone even threw a stone on his half burnt face,” she said.
“Today I am getting a pension of Rs 2,200 per month and the compensation of Rs 3.30 lakh received a few years ago was spend on the marriage of two daughters,” she said.
Another letter was written by Riazu-din, a Supreme Court clerk, on the behalf of Nazar Singh, who lost his father Santokh Singh in the riots.
SAD stages dharna
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 11
Not satisfied with the Prime Minister’s assurance and resignation of Minister of State for Overseas Affairs Jagdish Tytler, Shiromani Akali Dal workers and 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims sat on a dharna at Parliament Street today, demanding registration of cases against Congress leaders, indicted by the Nanavati Commission, besides setting up of special courts to deal with the cases.
“We are not satisfied with Tytler’s resignation. We want four Congress leaders, whose names have appeared in the Nanavati Commission report and suspected police officials to be booked under the Section 302 of the IPC, ” General Secretary of SAD Onkar Singh Thapar said.
As per Mr Thapar, workers and victims, led by Akali Dal Delhi unit president Avtar Singh Hit had been sitting on a dharna since yesterday, after a demonstration against the action taken report on commission’s findings.
Expressing dissatisfaction at the assurance given by the Prime Minister in Parliament yesterday, Mr Thapar said it was not a question of money or compensation.” We want punishment for the guilty,” he said.
The protesters also burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and raised slogans against the Congress as well as the UPA government.
Former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma, Ms Jaya Jaitly, Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and social activist Nafisa Ali also joined them during different parts of the day to show their support.
Comment