NEW DELHI: On a day Congress leader Sajjan Kumar was sentenced to life in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, families who lived through the dark days said the memories of violence and bloodshed are still raw and continue to haunt them even after three decades. While for many, doing the rounds of courts in the quest of justice continues to be a routine, for others, justice still remains a far cry. However, what’s worse is living with the memories everyday, they said.
“Sixteen of my family members were sent to police custody under TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act). Among them were some women and minors as well. We were the victims of a mob attack and the police slapped charges on us, instead of going after the culprits,” Amrik Singh Lovely, who was a resident of Paharganj at the time vast swathes of the Capital turned killing fields, said. He said what haunts him the most is the deaths of his uncle and cousin.
“The treatment meted out to us was appalling to say the least. We were tortured. While my uncle was killed during the riots, my cousin was shot dead by the police while in custody. Not a day goes by when we don’t lament losing them,” Lovely said.
Apart from losing their loved ones, people struck by the tragic events also suffered huge material losses as well. “An electrical appliance shop that I owned in Paschim Vihar was burnt down. Till date, I have only received a token compensation of `25,000. Sajjan Kumar and his associates were involved in burning down my shop. It was done on their instigation,” Inderjit Singh, who currently resides in Vishnu Garden, said.
Babu Singh Dukhiya, a resident of Tilak Vihar, said, for the survivors and those affected by the riots, the fight for justice continues. “Though the judgment is a result of our 34-year struggle for justice, the fight continues. If the government, police, and the CBI had done their jobs during and in the aftermath of the riots, the Godhra or Muzzafarnagar riots, which followed decades later, wouldn’t have happened. The verdict is welcome, but it should have come earlier.”