May
26
Two perpetrators of the 1984 carnage against Sikhs have been given ministerial positions in the new government formed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Kamal Nath, accused of leading the mob that attacked and destroyed Gurudwara Rakab Ganj and burned alive several Sikhs inside, is now a member of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet. He will serve as Commerce and […]
May
26
Pogrom Survivors Look to New Prime Minister for Justice
May 26, 2004 | Comments Off on Pogrom Survivors Look to New Prime Minister for Justice
Survivors of the 1984 pogroms against Sikhs, now living in the “Widows Colony”, are hoping that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will at least help their children: “With him at the helm, I see a glimmer of hope,” [Satori] Kaur said outside her humble home in Tilak Vihar, a colony specially set up in New Delhi […]
May
26
Suicides in Kashmir Draw Notice of NHRC
May 26, 2004 | Comments Off on Suicides in Kashmir Draw Notice of NHRC
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken notice of the extraordinary number of suicides and attempted suicides in the Kashmir valley: It has called for a report from the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary with a request to furnish within six weeks, the number of suicides and attempted suicides in the Valley from 1999-2000 […]
May
26
Gujarat Carnage Witnesses Granted Protection
May 26, 2004 | Comments Off on Gujarat Carnage Witnesses Granted Protection
After three senior members of the security forces visited Gujarat, a 100-strong team from the Central Industrial Security Force has been deployed throughout the state to protect witnesses in cases pending against perpetrators of the 2002 pogroms against Muslims: The CISF personnel have been divided into five teams of 20 each and deployed in Dahod, Himmatnagar, […]
May
21
Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister
May 21, 2004 | 1 Comment
Now that former Finance Minister Manmohan Singh, a Sikh, is set to be India’s next Prime Minister, Congress Party officials and others, including some Sikhs, are stating that the 1984 pogroms chapter has closed: [T]he deep distrust that once existed between the community and the party no longer exists. One reason is the sheer length […]
May
15
Arundhati Roy: Is this a New Dawn for India?
May 15, 2004 | Comments Off on Arundhati Roy: Is this a New Dawn for India?
In an article reacting to the election victory of the Congress Party, writer and activist Arundhati Roy points to the human rights problems created and exacerbated by many Indian governments—center, state, Congress or Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): [W]e know that on every major issue besides overt Hindu nationalism (nuclear bombs, big dams and privatisation), the […]
May
14
1984 Perps Win Elections
May 14, 2004 | Comments Off on 1984 Perps Win Elections
The Congress Party swept Delhi, along with the rest of India. Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler, widely cited as perpetrators of the 1984 pogroms against Sikhs by survivors and witnesses, both won in their constituencies: In his win, Jagdish Tytler has not only exorcised the ghosts of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, he has come back […]
May
11
Elections End in India
May 11, 2004 | 2 Comments
Yesterday marked the conclusion of India’s elections for the lower parliamentary house, the Lok Sabha. During the final round of elections on May 10, Delhi went to the polls to vote for or against two perpetrators of the 1984 carnage against Sikhs and one of their defenders. Sikh residents reacted to the use of the […]
May
11
Judge Appointed for Best Bakery; Bail Hearing for Bilkis Accused Adjourned
May 11, 2004 | Comments Off on Judge Appointed for Best Bakery; Bail Hearing for Bilkis Accused Adjourned
The Bombay High Court named the judge who will conduct the retrial of the Best Bakery case, to be held in Maharashtra according to the Supreme Court’s April 12 order: The High Court issued a notification on [Additional Sessions Judge A.M.] Thipsay’s appointment on Friday. It also fixed a time frame to complete the hearing by December 2004… […]
May
8
Court Rejects Cops’ Petition in Bilkis Case
May 8, 2004 | Comments Off on Court Rejects Cops’ Petition in Bilkis Case
The Gujarat High Court rejected the petition of two senior officers, challenging the charges framed against them in the Bilkis Bano case, revolving around the gang rape of Bilkis and at least three relatives, and the murder of 14 relatives during the 2002 Gujarat pogroms against Muslims. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had charged […]