SGPC, Akalis mount pressure for justice to ’84 riots victims

While the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) will organise “akhand paths” at its over 250 gurdwaras in Punjab to seek justice for victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, a delegation led by Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal presented a memorandum to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Delhi on Wednesday, seeking expeditious trials of those accused of engineering the carnage.

SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar has directed gurdwara managements to hold “akhand paths [prayer meetings]” from November 6, followed by “bhogs” on November 8. Sikhs, Avtar said, would seek justice for the riot victims by participating in the prayer meetings.

Badal, too, appealed to people from all sections of society to hold prayer meetings on November 8 for speedy delivery of justice to families of the riot victims and for peace to the departed souls.

In the memorandum to NHRC, Badal and other senior SGPC leaders said, “The most shocking part is that the government and the CBI are together in making a mockery of justice.”

“The delay by the CBI in filing charge sheets against [accused] Sajjan Kumar in four cases, registered in 2005 on the recommendation of the Nanavati Commission, is deliberate,” the Punjab deputy chief minister, who described the 1984 massacre of Sikhs as an outrage against humanity, said.