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On November 1, 2009 all sikhs and world will be witnessing the 25th Anniversary of Anti Sikh Riots(one of the most shameful phases in Independent India). we caught up with the journalist who stood up against the injustice. This is the first in 4-part series of this exclusive interview with Jarnail Singh Journalist.
Q1.) Being a journalist, you would have closely witnessed the 1984 massacre and the discriminatory behavior of Indian governments in the past 25 years towards Sikhs. What do you have to say in this regard?
Jarnail Singh: If we watch closely the post 1984 anti sikh riots era, the ray of hope is negligible that Sikhs would ever get justice. Be it law enforcement agencies or political parties, all work hand-in-hand to deny justice to Sikhs. As 25 long years have passed by, the hope of justice from our judiciary is looking unlikely too. The pathetic behavior and denial of justice thus sends a clear message to sikhs that what happened with us in 1984 was absolutely right. Conversely it was their duty to protect the innocent and bring the guilty behind the bars. My point is further validated when the Home Minister of this country openly expresses happiness on the clean cheat of one of the accused in 1984 anti Sikhs riots.
I never went towards any party or positions nor did I accept any financial offerings so that the focus should never be lost. I kept/keep myself away from it and have shown the true feelings as a sikh
Q2.) Do you think that Sikhs will ever get justice in the mass scale state sponsored murders of Sikhs in 1984?
Jarnail Singh: Getting justice after 25 long years is very difficult especially in the nation like India where the victims and witnesses can be purchased, frightened or even killed by powerful people. The fresh example is the demise of Giani Surinder Singh who always said that he is being harassed by Jagdish Tyter and he was under extreme pressure to change his verdict. Regarding 84 riots on a large platform, everyone knows who is the real guilty and planned these mass killings, but still after 25 years they are scott free.
Q3.) So any ray of hope then…
Jarnail Singh: Yes a little, as some new witnesses have gathered courage to come up and courts have accepted their verdicts also. Also some more pressure has been built up on Indian Government to deliver justice after the shoe hurling incident.
Q4.) So are you happy that guilty have finally been nabbed after Shoe Hurling incident?
Jarnail Singh: See the government and CBI was thinking that they would easily give clean chit to the guilty and nothing would happen. But after the incident caught media attention, the guilty were denied ticket, thereby putting a question mark on their candidature. Above all it is Guru Maharaj who took this sewa from me. And I would like to quote pious Gurbani lines: “kabir na hum kiya na karenge na kar sake sreer kya jana kich har kiya bhyo kabir kabir.”
Q5.) Were you offered any lucrative posts or compensations after the incident?
See, I never went towards any party or positions nor did I accept any financial offerings so that the focus should never be lost. I kept/keep myself away from it and have shown the true feelings as a sikh.
[In the second leg of this 4-part interview we will get Jarnail Singh Ji Journalist's perspective on the role of media for Sikhs, so stay tuned]
Tags: 1984, anti sikh riots, jarnailsingh