Forty-one years after the 1984 anti-Sikh pogrom, the ghosts of that dark chapter continue to haunt India’s so-called democracy — a stark reminder of state-sponsored violence and the enduring denial of justice.
Rights groups, genocide survivors, activists, and political leaders gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to mark the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh genocide — not merely as an act of remembrance but as a reminder of the Indian state’s persistent failure to ensure accountability.
The event, organised by Lok Raj Sangathan and allied organisations, displayed banners reading “Punish the Organisers of the Sikh Genocide!” and “End State-Organised Communal Violence!” — reflecting the anguish that continues to define India’s broken promise of justice. “Justice delayed is justice denied,” read a banner fluttering against the Delhi sky.
“This was no spontaneous outburst — it was a meticulously planned massacre,” said S. Raghavan, President of Lok Raj Sangathan, citing evidence from various inquiry commissions that the killings were carried out with the tacit and active support of state machinery. “More than 10,000 Sikhs were killed. Yet, not a single orchestrator at the highest level of power has faced real punishment.”
