By IANS,
New Delhi : Demanding justice, some families of the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots Saturday protested outside the Karkardooma court here, which was hearing a case related to the savagery in the capital 25 years ago.
“It has been 25 years since the riots took place. If the government wants, we can easily get justice. But the government itself does not want to support the cause,” said Baburam Dukhiya, who runs an organisation for riot victims in Tilak Vihar.
“If the government cannot punish everyone at least they should punish main culprits like Congress leaders Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler. Court takes suo motto actions on so many things. Can’t anyone see what is going on with this case,” Dukhia added.
Carrying placards and posters demanding justice, about 150 Sikhs from many parts of the capital protested outside the court.
They shouted slogans such as ‘Punish the guilty of 1984’ and ‘We want justice’.
Over 3,000 Sikhs were killed in the riots in Delhi and other northern cities following the assassination of Indira Gandhi Oct 31, 1984 by two of her Sikh bodyguards.
Almost every protester had a tragedy to tell.
Riot survivor and auto rickshaw driver Santosh Singh said: ‘”My uncle was killed in front of me, in front of my house. I had cut my hair that time and for years it remained that way. I didn’t get any compensation. I just want justice for me and my community.”
Another protestor Jagjivanjot Singh said: “We have a Sikh prime minister. He should pass a resolution in parliament where government officially apologises to our community for the riots.”
The people also planted hundreds of trees, brought from Punjab, in the nearby areas as a gesture to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the the 1984 riots.
The tree plantation is a part of a campaign started in July 2009 by a social organisation. They plan to plant 25,000 tress of which nearly 9,000 have already been planted.
On Sunday, Sikhs will take out a “march for justice” from Gurdwara Bangla Sahib in central Delhi.