NEW DELHI: Sohan Singh Sandhu barely managed to save his life when over 300 Sikhs were burnt to death in Trilokpuri during the 1984 riots. Two of his sons were killed on November 2, while a third went insane on account of violence.

Sandhu an electrician lives in Block 30 of Trilokpuri, which witnessed the ugliest face of the riots that broke out after Gandhi’s assassination. His fourth son was married last month at his Block 32 home in the same area,

Many of those involved in the attack on his house attended the wedding. In fact, some even accompanied the baraat, claims Sandhu.

Sandhu leads a group of some 20-odd Sikh families of Trilokpuri who, the riots notwithstanding, decided to stay put in Trilokpuri rather than migrate to Punjab or to a camp for the displaced victims at Tilak Vihar.

A little distance away, stands the Biock 36 Gurdwara, behind which lies Guecharan Kaur with her son four daughters.

‘Her husband, Naik Teja’Singh, was one of the three people who were killed when the mob set the Sector 36 ‘Gurdwara on fire.

Gurcharan Kaur maintains regular ‘social ‘contacts With her neighbors and occasionally visits them, Many of them were mute witnesses to the 1984 carnage, if not direct participants, pointed out her brother-in-law, Gurbachan Singh, who along with Teja Singh, faced the wrath of the rioters.

Further down the road, in the same block, another riot victim, Nazir Singh, nuns a small provision store. Nazir’s father, Santokh Singh, was dragged out of his house in the presence of his mother, Naseeb Kaur, who died a year ago. But till her death, she preferred to stay in the colony. In fact, Nazir Singh is all praise for his neighbors.

The Hindu ‘principal’ down the street who witnessed his father’s killing was so shocked that she fell sick soon after and so did another Hindu housewife who also saw the gory incident.

For the victims, it is a torture confronting those who had indulged in the loot and arson.

But says Sandhu, now approaching 70, Guru Nanak has taught the lesson of forgiveness. “I have seen the sewing machine looted from my house in one of the houses here, In fact, I can still identify each and every article looted from my house. But there is no point in harping on the same old tune,” he adds. Sandhu, who is the pradhan of the Block 32 Gurdwara, has even forgiven the RMP doctor, who was charged with involvement in the riots.

This ‘doctor’ has built a three storied mansion night opposite the Block’32 Gurdwara. The doctor, they said, was one of the culprits at large.

“What is the point in blaming him? Maybe he refused to treat the sick and dying, but then there was ‘hardly anyone ready to provide us shelter then,” says Sandhu, philosophically. Sandhu, who is indebted to a Hindu friend of his son for saving his life, is a believer and who would rather wait for God’s justice than make an issue of his plight anymore.

Nazir Singh, who knows his father’s killers, turns away his face in disgust, when he sees them in the area. “But how long can I fight them? If the Government has not bothered to do anything, how can I, a poor man, with all the responsibilities, fight them,” adds Nazir, bitterly.

Nazir, who had a tire shop, lost it in the riots and can barely make both ends meet through his small provision store.

Gurcharan Kaur and a half dozen other Sikh women in Block 36 Gurdwara have also resigned themselves to their fate in exasperation. “What can we do? After all we have to live here with these people and it is best we do not to rake up old memories.”

“But at least the balmikis, whose temple is right behind the Gurdwara, have openly expressed regret for whatever happened in those three days and have even offered us help,” added Sandhu. Sandhu might have faith in God’s justice. But Nazir Singh, Gurbachan Singh and many others like him staying in Trilokpuri are still wondering whether the Government would do anything.

Article extracted from this publication >> November 27, 1992