NOVANEWS
By Sajjad Shaukat
Pakistani media is so engaged with the coverage of internal issues and acts of terrorism
that some important news are not highlighted. In this context, a lawsuit against Sonia
Gandhi, President of ruling Congress Party of India regarding the genocide of the Sikhs
in 1984 was ignored by our journalists, while even Indian renowned newspapers pointed
In this respect, “The Times of India” and “The Hindu” reported that a day after she
landed in the US for a medical check up, on a complaint by a Sikh group, a federal
court in New York issued summons to Congress President Sonia Gandhi for “shielding,
protecting and inciting leaders and workers of her party who were involved in attacks on
However, a lawsuit against Sonia Gandhi has been filed by Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a USbased human rights group, under Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) and Torture Victim
Although Sonia Gandhi is on a medical visit to New York, yet Sikh’s psychological
injury appeared to have deeper scars which forced SFJ along with Jasbir Singh and
Mohender Singh, whose relatives were killed during days of rioting in New Delhi in
1984. They filed a collective plaintiff against her on September 3, this year, seeking
compensatory and punitive damages. They claimed that Sonia Gandhi played a role in
inciting and protecting Indian officials and Congress members including Kamal Nath,
Sajjan Kumar, and Jagdish Tytler who were involved in anti-Sikh violence.
The 27-page complaint against Gandhi revealed that between November 1 and 4, 1984
about 30,000 members of the Sikh community were intentionally tortured, raped and
murdered by groups which were incited, organized, controlled and armed by the ruling
Congress party under the direction of its President Sonia Gandhi.
According to attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor to SFJ, “the lawsuit
against Sonia Gandhi is motivated by an interest in seeking some form of justice for
the victims of November 1984 massacre…will raise awareness to the international
community regarding denial of justice to the victims and is a mean of holding parties
in power accountable for their gross violations of human rights…also offering the
potential to deter future abuses.” He argued that Sonia Gandhi’s conduct of protecting
the perpetrators of November 1984 genocide gave rise to liability applicable under
international and domestic laws, and international treaties and federal common law.
The legal complaint also indicated that in August, 2013, a group of Congress workers
attacked a colony in New Delhi where some witnesses of the anti-Sikh riots live.
Nevertheless, the summons by the court asked Sonia Gandhi to serve an answer to the
complainant within 21 days of receipt.
It is notable that in June 1984, Indian military, led by General Kuldip Singh Brar had
launched attack on the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine of the Sikhs in 1984, to arrest
Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the only leader who had boldly been fighting for the
genuine rights of the Sikhs. The Indian Army supported by troops and armoured vehicles
broke all records of the state terrorism and extra-judicial killings through that barbaric
operation, called the ‘Operation Blue Star’
The brutality of the ‘Operation Blue Star’ was not confined to the Golden Temple. Indian
armed forces simultaneously attacked 40 other historical gurdwaras all over East Punjab.
When Sikhs in other states came to know about the desecration of the Golden Temple
and massacre of their brethren, they quickly left for Punjab. New Delhi tried to stop them
before they could reach Punjab. Many Sikhs were assassinated on the way and many
According to an estimate, about 50,000 Sikhs were killed within a few days. The whole
Amritsar city was sealed and was burnt. A number of tourists either were murdered
or arrested. Shops belonging to Sikhs were looted and their houses were set ablaze by
Hindu mobs. In most of the cases, Sikh women were molested and some persons of their
community were also burnt.
In the same year of November, 1984, two dedicated Sikhs named Beant Singh and
Satwant Singh who were posted at Premier Indira Gandhi’s residence in New Delhi,
killed her. Then Hindu riots erupted in the capital and other cities in which more then
15,000 Sikhs were murdered in broad daylight by the supporters of Indira Gandhi, while
police watched silently so as to provide the Hindus with free hand to massacre Sikhs.
The memory recall underscores worst episodes of genocide of Sikh community (1984)
in India, in which many Sikhs were killed, tortured, women raped and children stabbed
to death, while Sikh properties were looted, destroyed and usurped by hooligans who
were involved in cleansing of entire Sikh community. This led to many widows with
their young babies to be fed without any support—spouses, parentless children, bereaved
parents and young-grown up sisters who were raped on having reached their marriageable
age. Sikh humiliation was at peak as their women were subjected to rape in the presence
of their male relatives during anti-Sikh riots in India.
The Sikh community stealthily left India having lost their near and dear ones, throwing
away their flourishing business, lovely homes and green farms where they were brought
up along with their peers, relatives and friends. The entire community was disgracefully
shattered and forced to live a substandard life, while their movements were subjected
It was impossible for the Sikhs to forget the abusive crimes committed by Indian
Congress activists against them in 1984. Hence, they filed a case against Sonaia Gandhi,
the President of Congress Party of India, as she “conspired, aided and abetted others”
including local police officers, fellow Congress workers and paramilitary troops,” which
committed brutal acts against the Sikhs.
It is expected that US Justice System will maintain its repute and deliver fair justice to the
bereaved Sikh community which is still moaning their wounds and seeking a platform to
address their psychological grievances.
Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic
Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Affairs
