Rediscovering the phantoms of 1984

The horror tales of Anti-Sikh riots have always petrified me. Speaking to noted journalists Alok Tomar and Arati R Jerath I rewitnessed the tragedy.

Devika Chhibber

“I can see in your eyes, I can see in your faces, I can see you cry. But what I want to say, there’s no reason to cry. Do not, in the name of peace, go in the streets and riot.”- George WeahAlthough I was born in 1985, tales of the 1984 riots have always haunted me. Hailing from Kanpur, which was the second worst riot-affected region after Delhi, discussions about how the Sikhs were tormented always petrified me. My father used to tell me about those painful days and horrible nights whose remembrance still brings tears in his eyes. Imagining as to what would have happened 25 years ago is nearly impossible for me. Therefore on the 25th anniversary of Indira Gandhi’s death and the subsequent anti-Sikh riots, I decided to meet some of those who witnessed the uproar, grief, death, suffering and bloodshed. Alok Tomar, who was a reporter in Jansatta at that time, Arati Jerath, the reporter of Indian Express, and Deepak Duggal & Jasbir, businessmen who were targets of the carnage, shared their memories with me.Alok Tomar (Editor, Datelineindia.com) Nobody could have imagined the wrath and anger that October 31 brought with it. Alok Tomar was going to watch a movie in now defunct Chanakya theatre when, as a routine habit of a crime reporter, he called the police control room and was informed that PM Indira Gandhi had been shot dead by her Sikh guards at PM’s official residence at Safdarjang. He could not digest the idea of her being hit by 38 bullets. He hired a taxi to AIIMS hospital and managed to see Mrs Gandhi at the 7th floor, lying lifeless. Many of the cabinet members were waiting in the conference hall of AIIMS. Rajiv Gandhi flew back from Orissa. Some of the prominent ministers urged him to take oath immediately but he insisted that his first priority was his mother who was dead. Alok then called Prabhash Joshi, his editor, and dictated to the desk the whole scenario over phone He even witnessed the first death in the riots at around 4 pm on October 31 when, near the INA market, a sardar was brutally battered with bricks. Later in the day, he filed his story. He recalled the first lines of his report that said- “Aaj do hathyaen hui hai- ek Indira ki aur doosri manushya ke manushya par vishwas ki” (Today, two deaths have occurred- one of Indira and the other of trust in humans) By November 1, the situation had worsened. While walking to his office, he was amazed to find all the police posts closed and locked. Trilokpuri, especially block 32, was badly hit. The second death occurred at 10:20 am when an elderly sardar was thrashed and killed using a burning tyre that was thrust around his neck. When he questioned Nikhil Kumar (the then additional commissioner of Delhi Police and now Governor of Nagaland), he answered that Hindus are just burning garbage and how could police stop the madding crowd? Rahul Bedi of the Indian Express went with him to Home Minsiter Narsimha Rao’s place and both, tired and agitated, blamed him for the situation. Rao, however, replied that the Army had been called in. Mundka, Nandgoi, Shahdara and Trans-Yamuna areas were wrecked. Kakanagar, Sarojini Nagar, Palam were the other residential areas that were scarred. More than 300-400 bodies were seen by Rahul and Alok. The toll had passed 3000 in a span of 4 days. Because Indian Express group was pro-victims, Hindu mobs thrashed several of its employees, including Alok. Later, several committees were set up where he recorded his statements; but all the enquiries were in vain. He also attended the cremation of Indira Gandhi where Rajiv Gandhi’s stoic and numb presence was really unbearable. Amitabh Bachchan, who had cordial relations with the Gandhi family then, was also present there. Recalling the horror of those sleepless nights, he said that he and his team hoped against hope that what they had been doing would prevent a rise in casualties but unfortunately it was not enough. To quote Rao, “it was madness” but Alok saw a well-defined method in it. A bloody method!Arati R Jerath (Senior Editor& Chief of Delhi Bureau, DNA) Recounting her horror, Arati Jerath remembered that it was a chilly winter morning on October 31 when she was spending some quality time with her elder daughter, who was then an infant. Suddenly, she got a call at quarter to 10 that Indira Gandhi was shot dead at 9:20 am and that she was required at office. Those days security was not much of a fuss and she therefore walked into the PM house easily later in the evening and surveyed the blood-splattered area for her story. The retaliation against Sikhs had still not become widespread but one gurudwara in Satya Chauraha Clave had been burnt down and it ran as the first flash in her newspaper. It was also rumoured that sweets were distributed in some of the gurduwaras celebrating the death of Indira. However, the scenario was like a still before a storm. Next day, many parts of Delhi were hit by mob violence. Police were, needless to say, unable to control the situation. All those shops and colonies were targeted which belonged to Sikhs. As she used to stay at Amrita Shergill Marg, she had to walk most of the distance to her office. Nearby, the taxi-stand’s taxis were burnt. The drivers fled from the scene as they were all Sikhs. When they returned, they were all clean-shaven and their turbans were gone. Like others, her family was also scared. Both she and her husband were reporters. Those three days were the most awful days of her life. Her parents came over from defence colony, which was also riot-hit. The violence had gripped the heart of the city and the Sikh domestic areas were prime targets. Be it Khan Market or Safdarganj, extremist Hindus lead by some local political leaders rampaged & vandalised the houses of Sikhs with impunity. One of her friends in Vasant Vihar was also surrounded. In order to protect his family, he went out on the balcony and lit a cigarette which is prohibited in Sikh faith- to show that he was not of the community. After the riots ended, he started visiting gurudwaras regularly in order to rediscover himself. Mrs Jerath could not go for reporting as Indian Express had barred girls from going out. But her other colleagues like Rahul Bedi and Joseph daringly covered the whole scenario, even protected some Sikhs from the blood-thirsty crowd. The most amazing part, according to her, was that the whole situation calmed down the day when Indira Gandhi’s body was cremated. This showed that there was some planned motive behind these riots. The fifth day from Indira’s death, when she went to Tilak Nagar, the scene shocked her beyond words- pieces of burnt hair, clothes and turbans shook her soul. It was grotesque with women wailing for their husbands. Only some old men and children were left out of the ordeal- only to be victimised by circumstances forever. Deepak Duggal & Jasbir (Businessmen in Kanpur) Deepak Duggal recollected the memories of the horrendous behaviour of crazed mobs towards Sikhs. As William Penn puts it, “Passion is the mob of the man that commits a riot upon his reason”. Duggal’s experience confirmed the same. By the night of October 31, it was clear that Indira Gandhi was dead. The incidents which took place on November 1 shook the whole of Kanpur. He elaborated, stating that at 7 am, the lower caste groups from Jajmau and other areas of the city started vandalising shops and ransacking the houses Sikhs in Lal Bunglow and Govindpur areas. Friends turned foes. Women were raped and molested, not even kids and elders were spared. Police kept mum and the local Congress leaders added fuel to fire. Sikhs were singled-out and burnt alive. “We fired gun-shots and opposed the mob, which was trying to enter our house. Our trucks were burnt but thank God we were saved but the conditions were horrendous”, added Duggal’s friend, Jasbir. After 3 days on November 4, curfew was imposed and continued for another week; but many lives were lost already. Politics had played its game, what was left was pain.