Two events of 1984 will be long remembered by all freedom-loving fellow beings: First, the full-scale army attack on the Golden Temple, the Sikh Vatican on June 5, 1984 in Punjab, India, the holiest shrine of 15 million Sikhs; and second, in the words of former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India, Justice S.M Sikri, chief of the Citizens’ Commission: “massive, deliberate and planned onslaught on the life, property and honor of a comparatively small, but easily identifiable, minority community” – the Sikhs who constitute a mere two percent of India’s population. Both these events resulted in violation of human rights and civil liberties at an unprecedented scale in respect of the Sikh minority in India. The violations continue unabated and have become a source of concern to the free world.
During the tank-helicopter led military attack on the Golden Temple, ostensibly to clear “militants” from the premises, Aka/ 7akhat the holy precincts where the Gurus, the divine religious teachers preached and composed the sacred hymns, was demolished alongwith other buildings including the one housing Sikh archives. Thousands of innocent pilgrims – men, women and children – lost their lives in heavy gun-fire that ensued. Thousands more were taken prisoners including children. Many of the captives were shot at point blank range against all the norms of Geneva Convention. This was done in complete secrecy under the strict press censorship and those who dared to write against the Government’s version of the events were arrested and are being tried for sedition and other similar charges.
In the wake of political assassination of Mrs Indira Gandhi by two of her trusted and long serving personal bodyguards, who happened to be Sikhs, unprecedented and barbaric violence and arson followed in Delhi and other parts of India against innocent Sikhs. In this respect the Chief Justice lamented: “That such savagery should have taken place in the capital city of India, and raged unhindered for three or four days, of which the Sikh community were the direct victims if such merciless bestiality can be allowed to take place unchecked, the very fabric of the mosaic of India’s unity in diversity, secularism and security will be gravely imperiled.”
One of the prime responsibilities of a government is to create conditions which promote harmony and peace in society and remove causal factors which generate feeling of alienation amongst the minorities. Alienation in turn invariably breeds violence and counter violence. No hurdles should be created to just and fair implementation of constitutional rights and the “due process of law” should be allowed to take its course without overt or covert interference from the government. Unfortunately, many of the constitutional rights have been violated by a number of Government ordinances, policies and actions. A few instances are: Laws have been created to hold secret trials of members of the Sikh minority (not one non-Sikh has so far been tried under these ordinances); the onus of proof of innocence has been shifted to the accused; the secret trials are being held in a different state far away from the place of accused’s arrest; during prosecution proceedings in a court the identity of witnesses deposing against the accused need not be revealed; people can be arrested without a warrant for periods upto two years without trial; and to cap it all there is continuing press censorship and ban on the entry of foreign journalists, Scholars and visitors in Punjab.
We call upon you to know the facts relating to the happenings in Punjab and lend support to the fight against tyranny. Remember that Nazism had its roots in neo-nationalism and it took time before the world realized that the holocaust tragedy had been unfolding itself for years. It should be society’s endeavor that never again another Holocaust, large or small, is allowed to take place anywhere in the world. This publication is a humble reminder to the world of the dangers that face religious freedom, human rights and civil liberties especially of minorities. It is an appeal for your understanding and help.
June 1, 1985 Iqbal Singh
Chicago
