The local permanent Sikh settlers number only 11 house- holds and nine business establishments. All these establishments were looted and burnt. Extensive damage was done to buildings housing Sikh institutions. An attack on the main gurdwara was attempted and Mai Bbago’s gurdwara at Janwada was desecrated twice on September 15-16 and 25. According to a conservative estimate Sikh property worth Rs 2 crore was looted or destroyed. Five Sikh students of Engineering College were murdered. The sixth similarly murdered was a Sikh student of Kishan Mal Pandecy ji D. Pharmacy college, Bidar. Apart from a dozen of so grievously hurt at least 125 Sikh students sustained serious injuries.
The most of all this happened on Ganesh Chaturatbi festival which fell on September 15 this year. Ganesh is the son of one major god of Hindu trinity namely Shiva. He is supposed to have four arms and the bead of an elephant. In Hindu mythology he rides a rat. He is worshipped at the inauguration of auspicious occasions. He is believed to have been born on this day. His worship was popularized by Bal Gangadhar Tilak. The other festival popularized by him was connected with Shivaji Marhatta, an eighteenth century partriot after whom Shiv Sena is named. The celebration of this festival invariably accompanies tension between Hindus and Muslims and has quite often resulted in violence.
There is evidence to show that isolated incidents had ‘occurred last year too on the same occasion. Mr. Joga Singh president of the gurdwara management had written a letter to the S. P. Bidar apprehending what was averted last year but happened with a vengeance this year (Copy of the letter is appended). Students recall that of late tiffs between them and local toughs had become a usual feature.
Many such quarrels were reported to the police from time to time. Some students recalled the one near a local enema which had created quite a stir. Several students remember having received threats to their lives prior to the September incidents. At least in one case the response of the Superintendent of Police was ; “Have not you heard that barking dogs never bite”? A Central Intelligence Officials told our team that his office apprehend anti—Sikh trouble as early as May 1988.
About three weeks prior to September 15, an organization known as New Shiv Sena was launched at Bidar; along with NAVY and Swagath groups already in existence, it is regarded as an aggressive organization mostly comprising rowdy elements. It was ostensibly formed for the celebration of Ganeshpuja. People belonging to the above three organizations started collecting funds for the festival. They indulged in huge extortions and forced students to pay to several different batches of donation—seekers and repeatedly threatened those who would not pay. Some students paid Rs 100 or more even though they were reluctant to pay on the und of financial stringency and also due to the fact that they belong to a different faith, Altercations were common because of this and great tension must have prevailed in the town.
Ignition point was reached at about 21:00 hours on September 14, in the Baduruddin colony (renamed Gandhi Ganj) which is a meeting place and a trade Centre. Several activists of chauvinisitic organizations live in this area. A group of Sikh students returning after earing out was confronted by donation seekers. They refused to pay on the ground of having paid earlier, Receipts were demanded but were not readily available, this led to an altercation and resulted in the students being beaten up by local toughs who were in large numbers and came Prepared. The scenario was repeated and it further aggravated the situation, Agitated mobs soon started attacking Sikhs in the area and set their houses on fire.
Students gathered together in groups and started proceeding to the gurdwara for safety. Police intercepted some such groups and took some students in custody. Two of them managed (o reach the gurdwara. The first three students reached at about 22:30 hours. Promptly they were sent to lodge a complaint with Gandhi Nagar Police station. Another 20 students reached the gurdwara at about midnight.
Next morning at about 08:00 hours it was known that mobs were continuing with what they had begun earlier. Students pursued the same strategy to reach the gudwara or the college (the two are five miles apart} Soon some 600-700 students collected in the college. An attempt by about 30 of them to go to Gandhi Ganj to take revenge was foiled by the Principal Mr. M . Sukhija who persuaded them to return to the college campus. Local police was present on the scene.
A small mob which steadily swelled soon gathered outside in the vast open space near the boundary wall and started demolishing a part of it. The Principal made repeated requests to the Deputy Superintendent of Police to prevent the demolition but failed to activate him or anyone of his 25-odd policemen. He stirred only when the mob entered the college campus and students tried to repulse the attack. The police then fired in the air, fired three rubber bullets on the students and lobbed several tear gas shells at them forcing them to retreat. Police stood by while the crowd destroyed the college property.
The Superintendent of Police appears to have been running around the town the whole day without intervening any were to prevent looting, assault, arson or murder. It was the Ganeshpuja day and crowds of 100-200 persons had gathered at every street corner for celebration. instigators freely moved about the town inciting violence. He was informed in time about the burning of Mr. Joga Singh’s house by a responsible public man but did nothing to prevent it although he passed chat way. Similarly Mr Iqbal Singh Bhatia told our team that from the Gurdwara he could see the mob preparing to loot his house and to set it on fire. He kept on relaying a sort of running commentary of the happenings to the Superintendent of Police standing nearby but failed to move him to act. Most of damage to life and property was done on this day.
Right up to the evening crowds went about plundering, maiming and murdering without any fear of law, The students claim that they often heard the mob shout “Police Zindabad” (long live the police) and “S. P. Zindabad”. Going by what all it calmly tolerated, it appears the police way attempting to immortalize itself in the estimation of lawless elements.
According to all accounts, the crowd was armed with bamboo sticks (of uniform size and color), iron pikes, daggers and incendiary material.
At about 19: 00 hours the Deputy Inspector General of Police arrived from nearby Gulb He arranged for eight busloads of students to be shifted from the college to the gurduara which was safer. Perhaps that is what should have been done the previous day, He also rescued 41 students who were in police custody, although the tact was solemnly denied by the Superintendent of Police earlier.
Vandalism and arson continued for the third day on the 16th of September. Mai Bhago’s Gurdwara was perhaps looted on this day. Lawlessness was continuing when a meeting of the Peace committee was arranged at noon by the administration. The college building evacuated the previous evening was extensively damaged on this day. It was alleged in the meeting of the peace committee that three bodies floating in a well were not recovered though one from the same place had been recovered. (Indi Express, September 19,1988).
Some stray incidents also took place on 17th and 18th of September.
Of the students who lost their lives two were brothers and the only children of their parents, one was the only male child in the families of two brothers and a sister.
The misery of these families is beyond comprehension. Dead bodies of four students Were recovered from a well which is just about a hundred meters from the residence of the Superintendent of Police. Other two boys died in hospital as a result of injuries sustained during mob attacks. The dead students are listed below:
- Upkar Singh (D. Pharmacy College) S/o Lakhbir Singh Shonil Refreshment, Bus Stand, Dhariwal (Gurdaspur)
- Jasbir Singh Anand (3rd year Mech) S/o Joginder Singh Anand, 326-A, Vishnu Colony, Opp. Co-operative Bank, Kurukeshtra (Haryana)
3.Gurinder Singh (3rd year Civil) S/o Mohinder Singh C-50, South Extension Part-2, New Delhi.
- Harvinder Singh (3rd year Civil) S/o S. Gurcharan Singh Lajpat Nagar, Barbanki, (U P.)
5.Amarjit Singh S/o Gurcharan Singh Lajpat Nagar, Barbanki (U.P.)
- Balvinder Singh Bawra (3rd year Mech.) S/o S, Puran Singh 556/6, Raj Park, Jaipur (Rajasthan).
