Dear Editor,

This refers to the article regarding the rioting that took place at Bidar in last September. Your article was very accurate as to what happened on 15th September and the atrocities committed by the local Hindus on the Sikh Students of the Guru Nanak Engineering College resulting in the tragic deaths of six innocent students. I happen to be a close Relative of one of the boys killed and I was in India when this happened. You have rightly stated that this is the handiwork of Rajiv Gandhi’s government but the role played by the chairman, Mr. Joga Singh, was no less. He just does not behave like a descendant as claimed by your article, on the contrary he was least bothered about his students, As per the college sources, he knew about the conspiracy on 14th of September and he immediately took his family to Hyderabad and while the looting and murders took place on 1Sth September, he was not even in the college. Instead of making arrangements to bring the senior students, who were staying in rented accommodations in the city, into the safety of the Gurdwara or the college, his foremost interest was his own family. In fact when the parents of one of the killed students went to search for their only son, he did not even meet them even to sympathize. It was only the students of the college who rang up the parents, informing them to come immediately to identify their sons. Two of the four bodies pulled out of the well were of 2 brothers, the only sons of their parents. They were told there was total chaos and the college management was totally missing during those days when they should have been saving the students. It was only when new police force was brought into the city, did Joga Singh and the principal materialize. It is pathetic that when the Sikh qaum is being attacked by Government forces and fanatic Hindu elements (like Sena) there are men who are interested only in making money out of the situation.

Unless we Sikhs clean our own house first, and improve our image to our fellow human beings, we can never have a good status.

  1. Singh Broadway, New York

Article extracted from this publication >>  January 20, 1989