On November 1st 1984 mobs took to the streets all over India to find and kill innocent Sikhs1. The mobs were well armed and tore through Sikh homes and businesses burning Sikhs and Sikh property alike. The riots went on for four days in which nothing was done to stop the violence. The police stood to one side as mobs killed mercilessly. In fact, some of the police personnel at the time went from a spectator's role to active participation in the riots themselves. Some police personnel armed the mobs with weapons such as iron rods, kerosene and petrol. If Sikhs tried to defend themselves the police would arrest them on exaggerated charges and take them to jail. Some non-Sikh people tried to stop the riots and formed the Nagrik Etka Munch (Citizens United Front) but they were stopped by the police when they tried to lead a protest marches.
By November 4th the riots were quelled by the Indian Army but due to the delay in orders to send the troops 2,733 Sikhs had already been killed and thousand had been left homeless. Many people believe that the number of deaths reported by the government was greatly understated because the riots went on continuously for four days in multiple cities and states all over India. Obviously after so many people had been killed and so much injustice had been done there was a strong feeling of animosity between the Sikhs and the Hindus who composed the majority of the ruling Congress party of India. After such turbulent events and violent emotions people would think that more Sikhs would try and break away from the Indian republic. But compromises were made by both sides and the process of healing relations between the Sikhs and the Republic of India began.
The dissatisfaction of the Sikh community has its roots in the times of WWII2 when the Sikhs were promised an autonomous3 state within India by the top leadership of the Congress party. The Congress party at this time was fighting for an independent India. Independence from the British occurred on August 14, 1947 but India stood divided in two states. The area with the Muslim majority was given the name Pakistan and the area with the Hindu majority was continued to be known as India. The Sikhs at this time were expecting the now ruling Congress party to give them an autonomous state within India. Nehru4, who was the Indian Prime Minister at the time, did not honor his promise to the Sikhs for an autonomous state. This led to the widespread distrust and outrage in the Sikh community against the Congress party.
Over the course of the next few decades this distrust and outrage simmered and led to the formation of the Sikh militant movement in the early 1970's. This militant movement was led by a Sikh priest-Jarnail Singh Bhinderwale and retired General Shabeg Singh of the Indian Army. The Congress party which at the time was the ruling party decided to quell this militant movement. On June 3rd 1984 the Indian Army commenced operation “Blue Star5” in which it was to attack on a festival day the holiest of Sikh shrines-Harmandir Sahib (The Golden Temple) in the city of Amritsar in which Bhinderwale and General Shabeg Singh
had taken refuge. The Indian Army started shelling the Golden Temple and attacked with tanks and infantry. In this attack there were many casualties inside the holy precinct of the temple. It is said that
thousands of pilgrims were massacred though the government reports acknowledged only 492 civilian deaths, 433 separatist deaths and 1592 persons apprehended. Killed in this battle were also 87 army personnel. General Shabeg Singh died in the assault but Binderwale's body was never found. After the fighting was stopped and the separatists had been apprehended the violence towards Sikh civilians by the army began. There have been many eye witness reports of army personnel killing unarmed civilians who were trying to get water after countless hours in the hot dry weather. Some estimates that take into account the eye witness reports say that nearly another 500 unarmed civilians were killed after the battle was over. This attack on the Golden Temple of the Sikhs sent shockwaves throughout the Sikh community and dismayed the freedom loving and democratic nations of the world. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi6 was one of the people who were most involved in the attack on the Golden Temple. As an act of revenge two of the Sikh guards at her residence assassinated her on October 31st 1984. This led to a back lash from the Hindu population of India and led to the anti- Sikh riots on November 1st 1984.
Effects of Riots on Hindus and Sikhs
