CHANDIGARH: AS the nation once 4gainmoumsthe assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who was gunned down on October 31, 11 years ago, the anti-Sikh riots that broke out after her death continue to haunt the survivors. A majority of them had mi grated to Punjab. Today they live se chided lives and struggle to make both ends meet.
For these people is jus carrying on in the hope of some help coming by. However, their present conditions are far cry from their earlier days of prosperity. With wounded pride and lives of dear ones lost, the readjustment in life has left many scars physical as well as psychological talk about the dreadful night on October 31, and the memory of innocent persons, shops and houses set ablaze by the rampaging mobs at various places in Delhi, Kanpur and Ranchi, still evoke ears among the women folk of the victims. The survivors who migrated from the National Capital and other cities now live all over the state, a majority of them living in S.A.S, Nagar, Ludhiana, Patiala and Pathankot.
A section of the migrants in S.A.S. Nagar expressed a sense of anguish about the “cold response from Sikh leaders.”
Mrs, Harjinder Kaur, who lost her his band during the riots says: “Even the Shiromani Gurdwara Purbandhiak Committee (SGPC) has not come forward with any help in obtaining or marrying of our dauphin sough these people have physically settled down” over the past decade, the psychological scars may not heal for generations to come, Relief and rehabilitation provisions made by the Punjab Government are far from adequate and the Central Government and the Delhi Government have not come forward to shoulder their share of responsibility.
The Department of Relief and Rehabilitation, Punjab, spends close 10 Rs 50 in annually on providing subsidence allowance for 466 widows, orphans and disabled Mt the rate of Rs 1,000 per month, Last week, this amount was hiked to Rs 1,500, Apart from the subsistence allowance, he records of the state government indicate an expenditure of over Rs 6 crore on things like loans and extra payments ant grain of mini his permits 10 117 victims, Besides, allotment of dwelling and commercial units at concessional rates have been made to 2,000 migrants, claim Punjab officials.
However, the provisions like free education for riot affected children up to the university level, reservation of 2% seats in professional colleges and employment on a priority basis have not reached the needy.
Avtar Singh, who lost a Nourishing furniture business on the outskirts of Delhi says We are not even aware about the facilities provided by the government as the lower level staff is very uncooperative and rude besides being insensitive to our needs and problems.”
In such a situation the hapless migrants are sitting ducks for politicians. Singh alleges that a local Congress leader collected nearly Rs 3 lakh from the migrants and promised pucca booths instead of the temporary shacks, but nothing has been done so far and nor has the amount been refunded.
The biggest hurdle the older generation among the migrants face is paper ‘work in the old age pension scheme of the Punjab Government. Rajwant Singh, Ware side tot Phase XI, S.A.S. Nagar, says “the government had made tall claims about the provisions of old age pension and employment for the children. However, nothing has been given to me or my unemployed son.” Promises were made but nothing happened, the lower staff and smalltime politician’s stop whatever the higher ups do, he bemoans.
The fact that the persons whom the CBI had charge sheeted in connection with the riots are still free.
Meanwhile, under the garb of riot victims several persons have claimed the benefits offered under various schemes by the government. The Punjab Urban and Housing Development Authority (PUDA) has evidence of at least 103 flats being in the illegal possession of people in S.A.S, Nagar. Riot victims say, that these people have been “planted” by politicians and they hamper the growth and schemes offered by the government.
Though the scars caused by the riots may never heal the victims only want some respect and a more humane approach to their problems.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 3, 1995