Responding to an appeal made by the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib Giani Gurbachan Singh, the victim of 1984 Sikh massacre Sardarni Nripjit Kaur today ended her five-day long fast after taking a glass of juice offered by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Chief Jathedar Avtar Singh this afternoon.
Addressing a mammoth gathering of Sikh community assembled here at Jantar-Mantar to express solidarity with the victims of 1984 Sikh Genocide besides demanding exemplary punishment to all those responsible for the merciless killings of thousands of the innocent Sikhs especially the culprits like Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler, whom the UPA led Congress government was deliberately shielding them in one way or another, Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said the Sikh Panth was replete with countless sacrifices to uphold the moral and ethical values of humanity besides safeguarding the rights of poor and oppressed. The endless saga of unprecedented valour which protected the dignity of mankind through the supreme sacrifices of Sikh Gurus and warriors would always act as a beckon to guide our destiny especially to keep us in high spirits (chardhi kalan).
Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh in an emotional appeal asked Bibi Nripjit Kaur to immediately call her fast off in view of the tenets of Sikhism which refrains Sikhs to undertake fasts as a part of their crusade against tyranny and oppression, rather he said we should confront any situation bravely by ever remaining in high spirits. He said the entire Sikh community was with her in this hour of crisis and hoped they all would succeed in their mission to prevail upon the Centre to punish the guilty of 1984 Sikh massacre and achieving the ultimate goal of seeking justice for the victims of this tragedy.
In his address, the Patron of Shiromani Akali Dal and Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal said the teeming crowds of Sikhs converged here at Jantar-Mantar in support of seeking justice for victims of 1984 tragedy and ensuring exemplary punishment to the Congress leaders involved in Sikh genocide was reflective of their state of mind to be ever in high spirits.
Lauding the enormous contribution of Punjabis especially the Sikhs in national freedom struggle, defending the country’s as a sword arm and ensuring national food security as nation’s food bowl, Mr. Badal said that the role of Punjabis in opposing the black era of emergency during Congress regime besides suffering the brunt of partition in 1947 need not to be over emphasized. He said that Sikh community had always been meted out a step motherly treatment by successive Central government’s therefore, Sikhs were left with no other option but to launch Morchas against the regime of arrogant Congress Party in the form of Dharamyudh Morcha. He cited an example of Operation Bluestar when the nation Army’s entered Sri Harmandir Sahib - the holiest shrine of the Sikhs.
Lashing out at the national Congress leadership for perpetrating planned anti-Sikh riots in 1984 in Delhi, Kanpur and other cities in which nearly 3000 people were killed, Mr. Badal said that these attacks on the innocent Sikhs were not only pre-planned but orchestrated at the behest of top Congress leaders by instigating the mob. Sikhs were singled out, their houses burnt and innocents were butchered in this frenzy across the country. The response of the then Prime Minister Late Rajiv Gandhi who took these violent incidents casually and out of arrogance, he made a derogatory statement “When a full bloom tree is uprooted the earth trembles”, quoted Mr. Badal.
The Sikhs had been demanding justice under the nation’s legal system for these inhuman and heinous acts of brutal violence which had been eluded so far to them thereby making a sheer mockery of democracy. The Centre’s apathy towards the Sikhs was evident from the fact how it stone walled every such move of to thwart justice to the victims of 1984 riots by keeping the reports of various commissions constituted by it to probe into these riots such as Ved Marwah, Tarkunde, Nanavati and subsequently country’s premier agency CBI under the wraps. The eye witnesses to these incidents have been threatened and the investigations were not filed, adding he said if investigations were completed then challans were not filed in any case.Mr. Badal said not going into the merit of the cases, the common perception brewing not only in the minds of Sikhs but also in the entire right thinking citizens of the country was that the guilty were going scot free. He said that the Sajjan Kumar has been acquitted giving the benefit of doubt despite the witnesses identifying him as the ring leader of the rioters. Adding salt to the wounds the court have found the evidence of the witnesses to be good enough to sentence the others six, but when it come to Sajjan Kumar the same witness & evidence was found wanting and "benefit of doubt" was used to acquit Sajjan Kumar.
Speaking on the occasion, President SAD and Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal said that the crusade launched by the Sikh Panth to ensure exemplary punishment to the culprits of 1984 riots would be taken to its logical conclusion. He said that Mr. Badal along with him today led a high powered delegation of national and regional parties to the President Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and the Union Home Minister Mr. Sushil Kumar Shinde and handed over copies of memorandum to them for filing a fresh appeal against Sajjan Kumar and expediting investigation against Jagdish Tytler, for perpetrating incidents of violence against innocent Sikhs in 1984 genocide, besides setting up of SIT (Special Investigative Team) under the direct command of the Supreme Court to monitor a day-to-day hearing against those responsible for killing thousands of men, women and children in the 1984 massacre. The President SAD also said that they have called on Union Home Minister and demanded an action against the guilty of 1984 massacre. Responding positively, Mr. Shinde assured them of an expeditious action in this behalf and also promised an immediate follow up in the case that has been pending against Sajjan Kumar since 1987.
Addressing on the occasion, the President of the Youth Akali Dal and Punjab Revenue & Public Relations Minister Mr. Bikram Singh Majithia showered praises on the victim of 1984 massacre Bibi Nripjit Kaur for mobilizing the Sikh Panth to create a public opinion against the Congress led UPA government for shielding the guilty Congressmen and demanding exemplary punishment to them so that the justice could be given to the victims even after a long period of 30 years. Mr. Majithia said he adored Bibi Nripjit Kaur as his sister and another victim Bibi Jagdish Kaur as his mother as both of them played a vanguard role in sensitizing the Sikh masses to envisage their unstinted support and cooperation in this crusade for ensuring justice for victims of 1984 Sikh massacre. Several MPs, MLAs, senior party leaders and workers of SAD-BJP, members of SGPC and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee were also present on the occasion.