Govt trying to address concerns of Sikhs over 1984 riots: PM

Prime minister Manmohan Singh has admitted that there are possible "weaknesses" in the Indian legal system in dealing with the cases of 1984 anti-Sikh riots but said his government was trying to address them.

"There are concerns about those who perpetrated these crimes must be brought to book. There are possible weaknesses in the Indian legal system, as there may be in the Canadian system. We are trying to address these issues," Singh said. 

"Our government, the UPA government, has opened up all
cases for compensation, we are open to provide relief, succour
to victims, the relatives so they can once again lead a life of dignity," he told Indo-Canadian MPs and provincial legislators at Toronto's Royal York hotel yesterday.

Singh described the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as "horrible" and said it should never have happened. "I have on behalf of the government of India apologised, on behalf of the nation apologised for what happened in 1984."

"We can't get away from our past but the challenge is to look ahead in a world increasingly globalised, integrated whether you are here or in India," he said.

The prime minister assured the Indo-Canadian community that he has taken note of the concerns raised by them and promised to act on them.

"I promise you that when I get back home, I will set up some mechanism to deliberate on the issues that have been raised here or raised elsewhere in the Indo-Canadian community," he said.

Ahead of Singh's visit here, there was an attempt to raise the 1984 riots issue in Canadian Parliament when a group of Sikh MPs moved a petition seeking the the Canadian government recognise the carnage as 'genocide'.

Singh, the first Sikh to ascend to the post of the prime minister of India, said: "by constantly reminding of the 1984 riots, sometimes you unwittingly vitiate the creative thinking of the Sikh community".

"I am the prime minister of India. Two years we had JJ Singh as the Sikh commander of the Indian army, we have Sikhs as ambassadors. Punjab is today run by Shiromani Akali Dal," he pointed out.

"Sikhs have made a name and achieved fame. Sikhs want to move ahead from 1984. Sometimes unwittingly we create an atmosphere which sets the unhappiness of the Sikh community.
Therefore, it is incumbent on the Sikh diaspora to strengthen
the bonds of India-Canada relations," he said.

The prime minister urged all of Indo-Canadians to remain united and respect each other.