June 1984 bore witness to some of the darkest days

Page Visitors: 24

June 1984 bore witness to some of the darkest days
Dear Friend,
June 1984 bore witness to some of the darkest days of state violence in 20th century when the Indian government
launched full-force armed attacks in Darbar Sahib, Amritsar, and many more Gurdwaras throughout Punjab murdering trapped devotees in thousands and leaving scars on the Sikh psyche for eternity.

Every year, the first ten days of June are heavy for not only millions of Sikh families but all those who love Punjab and humanity. We may express, commemorate, or mourn differently, but we all are connected with an invisible bond of grief these days.

Many of us, especially the ones who have borne the pains of 1984 on our bodies and minds, make it a point to speak to our families and educate the next generation about the genocide. But many parents struggle and shy away.

The truth is too gory and sad, uncomfortable and painful to discuss. Nonetheless, it must be told.

Here are my five reasons why it is vital to pass on this recent story to our children.

1. Our children are our legacy's only inheritors and will propagate our stories forward. If we don’t help them build a relationship with their history at a young age, how will they ground themselves when they grow up? What will their identity be? Our history is directly connected to our identity and existence. The state has done its part in belittling the scale of the 1984 Sikh Genocide. A whole new generation has no idea of what transpired. Soon it will be a distant or erased memory.

2. I feel that our narrative (not the state’s narrative that is popularly available and available to our young generation on the internet) and the stories that we have experienced and witnessed should be in their hands so they have a chance to know the whole truth and pass it on.

3. Our children read hundreds of books on world literature, history, and current affairs. They derive inspiration from global heroes and role models and are active in raising human rights issues from around the world — be it for black lives in the U.S., indigenous lives in Canada, or the rights of the Palestinians and the Kashmiris. Why should they not be standing up for their people and their rights? We need to do a better job of educating them about our recent past and the current issues we are still facing as a people.

4. I wholeheartedly identify with this Native American saying which is a guiding force behind my mission — “You don’t know where you are going; until you know where you are coming from.” If we want our next generation to carve the 21st century properly, they should at least know the history of the 20th century. Thus, educating them on the events leading up to 1984 and later is very important.

5. We also must educate them about our recent history, not only to learn from the wrongs done to us but also about the mistakes we have committed and to analyze why we are standing where we are today. We cannot expect new results from repeating the same actions to solve a problem — over and over again.

In gratitude,

Gurmeet Kaur

ਤੁਹਾਡੀ ਰਾਇ