With the union home ministry recently telling the Election Commission that no decision has been taken on enhancement of compensation to the 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal Sunday said there was "palpable disappointment and even resentment" among members of the community.Drawing the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the compensation enhancement controversy through a letter, Badal said: "There is a sense of palpable disappointment and even resentment amongst the Sikh community as to why the compensation award for the victims of the Congress-orchestrated 1984 anti-Sikh riots was not implemented immediately after its announcement."
The Election Commission had sought an explanation from the home ministry over the issue as the decision was announced while the election model code of conduct was in force in Delhi as bypolls for three assembly seats there had been announced.Delhi has a considerable population of Sikhs and majority of the 1984 riot victims were also from the capital.The home ministry, in its reply to the poll panel, said no such decision, to enhance compensation to the riot victims to Rs.5 lakh, has been taken.
Badal, in his letter, told Modi: "A lot of ground had to be covered to ensure comprehensive justice to the 1984 victims. The compensation award was treated as the first concrete and meaningful step to apply balm to the hurt Sikh psyche, 30 years after the well planned riots took place."Recent developments had given the impression that the Centre was yet to take a decision on awarding Rs.5 lakh each as compensation to the families of the riot victims as announced on Oct 30 and that the move was at a proposal stage only.""I would like to draw your attention to the confusion created amongst the Sikh community on this issue," said Badal, who is also the president of Punjab's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal.
He said the earlier announcement had generated a lot of "goodwill".Urging the prime minister to clear the air over the announcement controversy, Badal said: "The Centre must implement its award announcement immediately to avoid sending a wrong signal to the Sikh community."The Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have an alliance government in Punjab since 2007. The Akali Dal is part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre.