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Monday, March 05, 2007

Remember when a "great tree fell"?

'84 anti-Sikh riots: Sajjan, six others get bail

The title says it all - over 20 years later the case is nowhere near an end. For those who are too young to remember or were not born, these riots were in 1984 when people (possibly Congress mobs) went killing Sikhs as revenge for killing Mrs. Indira Gandhi. And, her son Rajiv (the great Indian hope that fizzled) said something like ..." the ground will shake when a great tree falls."

Anyway, the reason I bring the issue up is to remind the people and media who are eager to get justice to the Gujarat riots that there are others who have been waiting for a long time. I have always wondered why the "secular" press, people and politicans don't talk about the riots of 1984. Is it because some of the "secular" parties were involved in the riots? Or, is it that the Sikhs don't merit justice? Or, is it that Congress-Sikh riots don't have the same ring to it as Hindu-Muslim riots? But, look at the similarities between the Gujarat riots and the Sikh riots. If riots of '84 were in "response" to the killing of Mrs. Gandhi, the Gujarat riots were in "response" to the Godhra incident. In both cases the government machinery remained a passive observer (or, even active supporter). But, both are examples of total failure of law and order. And, failure to bring the criminals to justice is a continuing failure of the judicial system.

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