84 riots were genocide, says Rajnath Singh
Describing the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 as a "genocide", Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said several persons who had a "role" in the carnage are yet to be punished.
"In these incidents (anti-Sikh riots), there are several persons who are yet to be punished. I have faith in our judicial system and these persons will definitely get punishment," Rajnath said on Friday after distributing cheques of enhanced compensation to the riot victims in Tilak Vihar area of west Delhi."I know that until these persons are punishe d, victims will not get relief. I want to assure that government is with you and will be with you in even bad days," Singh said.
The Union minister distributed cheques of Rs 5 lakh to 17 kin of the riot victims at a function here. According to a senior government official, enhanced compensation to 2,459 people will soon be given after a verification.
Singh also said that he has constituted a committee under a retired judge to look into the grievances of victims of 1984 riots. "I want to assure that after getting complaints through this committee, government will solve them," he said.
The Centre had recently announced to provide additional Rs 5 lakh compensation to the kin of Sikhs killed in 1984 riots. Singh said that he wanted to give its credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Calling the 1984 anti-Sikh riots a "genocide", Singh said, "It was not riot, it was genocide instead. Hundreds of innocent people were killed. The pain of the kin of riot victims cannot be compensated by even paying crores of rupees."
Meanwhile, some kin of the riot victims said they want the culprits to be punished instead of the compensation.
"My pain cannot be reduced by money and I want to see culprits being punished. Even after 30 years, main culprits are roaming free," 70-year-old Amarjeet, whose husband Satnam was killed in the riots, said after receiving the cheque from the Union Minister. "We cannot expect any thing from the government. These riots took place in 1984, but the justice is yet to prevail. "I don't want money but justice," Bakshish Kaur, whose husband was also killed in the riots.
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Dr. Avtar Singh (Machaki)
Question: Mr Singh (Rajnath Singh), being his cabinet minister, you are trying to give credit to the killer, criminal and organizer of the "Genocide of Muslims of Gujarat State, 2002-2003," now the Chief, Council of Ministers, New Delhi administration (NDA), Narendra Damodar Modi. Is it not the "Divide and rule Policy of the deceitful Brahmins and their Hindu followers.? What about compensation to the sufferers of Gujarat Genocide, 2002-2003 and September to December, 2013, "Genocide of Muslims" of the Muzaffarnagar district of the Province of U P? -writes Dr Awatar Singh Sekhon (Machaki), Advisor Foreign Affairs, Dal Khalsa Alliance (USA).
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Gurmeet Singh
If Union Home Minister Shri Rajanth Singh is really serious (not up to Delhi elections only) to speed up punishment to the culprits/killers, he should also look into other similar instances, for example:
1. Who instigated the killings of (13) Sikhs in Amritsar on 13th April 1978 under the regime of Morarji Desai and Atal Behari Vajpayee;
2. How donated money Rs.100 crores handed over by P.M. Atal Behari Vajapayee in April 1999 to Badal Govt. was accounted for?
3. Who killed (35) Sikhs on 20th March 2000 when USA President Bill Clinton was on visit in India and Atal Behari Vajpayee was P.M.?
4. In 2002 when Shri Narendra Modi was Chief Minister of Gujarat, why so many Muslims were killed?
5. Whether BJP Govt. will now withdraw appeal lodged by then Gujarat Chief Minister against the Sikh Farmers tilling land legally?
Let us wait and watch for another five years.
Gurmit Singh (Sydney)