Recognise 1984 anti-Sikh riots as genocide: Sukhbir to Centre

CHANDIGARH Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday urged the Centre to formally acknowledge “the shameful massacre of Sikhs in 1984 as genocide”. SAD is an ally in the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre.

“We are grateful to the authorities and people of Ontario for this very touching gesture of compassion and solidarity. They have called this shameful chapter by its right name and they deserve our thanks. Every Indian, except those guilty of this tragedy, regards it as genocide,” Sukhbir said. “There is no doubt about this in anyone’s mind that the Congress planned and executed genocide of Sikhs in 1984. Congress leaders holding top positions in the government of India actively facilitated, directed and even participated in this gruesome genocide,” he alleged.

Sukhbir said the Sikhs and all “right thinking” people in the country and across the world are “grateful” to the BJP members who had “courageously come out in the streets during this genocide” to stand by and save their Sikh brethren.

“We now request PM Narendra Modi to apply balm to the deep wounds of the Sikh community by personally intervening to ensure that the guilty of this genocide are not allowed to go scotfree any longer,” he said. GUJRAL ASKS MEA TO WITHDRAW STATEMENT NEWDELHI: Meanwhile, Akali Dal member in the Rajya Sabha Naresh Gujral asked the external affairs ministry (MEA) to withdraw its statement rejecting a motion adopted by the legislative assembly of Ontario in Canada terming the 1984 antiSikh riots “genocide”.

The issue during the zero hour in the Rajya Sabha, he said: “There was a state-condoned massacre of innocent Sikhs that went on for three horrible days and nights. The government and police refused to intervene and the minority community was targeted only because of their identity, their beard, their turban and their names,” he said.

Gujral said the November 1984 incidents were not a riot as “successive Congress governments have tried to make us believe”. In fact, many Hindus and Muslims had risked their lives to save their Sikh friends.

Congress member Anand Sharma, however, objected to the Akali MP’s demand. Raising a point of order, Sharma said: “This is Parliament of India. Can you allow a statement that there was a state-sponsored genocide on record?”

To this, deputy chairman PJ Kurien said he would go into the records and “expunge what is to be expunged”. Meanwhile, Akali MP from Anandpur Sahib and party general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra urged the Narendra Modi government to revisit its stand on the Sikh “genocide” resolution.

Raising the issue during zero hour in the Lok Sabha, he said rather than condemning the resolution as “unfortunate and misleading” and seeking its withdrawal, Parliament should pass similar resolution to assuage hurt feelings of the Sikhs.

LAUDS ONTARIO ASSEMBLY, PEOPLE FOR ‘TOUCHING GESTURE, CALLING SHAMEFUL CHAPTER BY ITS RIGHT NAME’