Prime Minister ManMohanSingh wound up his election campaign in Ludhiana, Punjab, his home-State yesterday. Assam is also his home-State, so he claims, cast his vote there with his wife Gursharan Kaur a few days ago. After all he is our PM and he can rightfully claim the whole of India, his home-“State”.
I am prompted to write a few words about his press conference at Ludhiana after winding up his election tour in Punjab (The New Indian Express dated 11-05-2009).
He took exception to certain queries posed to him by some media persons relating to the anti-Sikh pogrom of 1984. Raking up an incident, though bizarre, was according to him something deplorable to cater to the ulterior motives of a few vested interests. As far as he is concerned past is past, or let by-gones be by-gones, and the whole problems solved after the enhancement of compensation to the victims especially the Sikh widows.
It was quite unbecoming of a PM to have uttered such merciless words, though to the media-persons. It was like rubbing salt to wounded Sikh psyche.
Holocaust is still not forgotten. Hiroshima and Nagasakhi are still festering wounds to the whole World especially Japanese. India’s partition and the blood-bath that followed still simmering even after decades. The Jalianwallabagh massacre and the hangings of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru still relived. The brutal assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by a hindu fanatic and Indira Gandhi by two of her Sikh body guards still remain painful to everyone across the nation. Dr.ManMohanSingh knows all about these more than this writer. The afore-said incidents are recalled, tributes and homages are profusely offered at appropriate times. Despite all these, his alleged insistence that the memories of Sikh pogrom of 1984 must be wiped out of the victims’ minds is something which is very difficult to be digested.
Would it be possible for Dr Singh to bring back those brutally murdered by the alleged thugs alive before their women and children? Are these womens’ husbands worth the amount offered to them as compensation? Whether Dr.Singh is unaware of the hapless widows and their children, most of them went astray after witnessing their beloved fathers repeatedly beaten up with iron-rods on their heads until they fell unconscious in pools of blood and then set alight. Will they be able to wipe out the trauma etched in their minds, when they are asked to?
Impossible, Dr.Singh.
What the victims of 1984 carnage are badly in need of is bringing all those masterminded it be brought to justice. Uptill then they will remain restless souls. Harjith Kaur, Kuldip Kaur, Jagrup Kaur and a host of others like them will continue to nurture the feelings of anger and hatred towards those at the higher echelons of power.
Providing tickets to the alleged culprits to contest the parliamentary elections is something detestable.
Before winding up this thoughts, let me quote the words of one of the victims of this carnage,
“We want no money. Our murderers need to be prosecuted and hanged. We will have everything when they are hanged, everything. I don’t want that ten lakh; ManMohanSingh need not give us any money because we don’t want it. ManMohanSingh needs to give us the pleasure of knowing they will be hanged; that is our greatest want and desire. Our Murderers must be punished now; they are roaming free. Their children have fathers, and our children have nothing.” ( ‘Betrayed By The State- The Anti-Sikh Pogrom of 1984’ – Jyoti Grewal)
Just imagine the anger and hatred these Sikh widows still keep in their minds against the alleged perpetrators and the ruling elite?
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