Amritsar: Bibi Jagdish Kaur, a prime witness in November 1984 carnage, is reported to have said to “Times of India” (TOI) that everyone who had been watching DoorDarshan, India’s Government own TV Channel, saw how filmstar Amitabh Bachchan provoked the violance against the Sikhs.
“I wonder why no one in India lodged case against Amitabh Bachchan for provoking killing of Sikhs,” Jagdish Kaur is quoted to have said on Thursday, while talking to TOI.
It is notable that following Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination on October 31, 1984 by Bhai Satwant Singh and Bhai Beant Singh, India erupted in genocidal vioance against Sikhs.
Rajiv Gandhi and Amitabh Bachhan were close friends
Reminiscing the terrible sad memories of violance against the Sikhs, Jagdish Kaur said, “I watched live relay on Doordarshan and saw Amitabh Bachchan raising his arm and shouting the slogan, ‘khun ka badla khun sae laengae’ (Blood for blood) two times. “
Jagdish Kaur is further reported to have said that everyone who had been watching Doordarshan was witness to how the bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan provoked the anti- Sikh riots. “I am not concerned that a case has been registered against him in Australia but all I want to know why nobody noticed Amitabh’s provoking statement in India,” Kaur asked.
She said that ever since she saw Amitabh spewing venom in full public glare she never watched any of his movies or programmes on TV. “Any mention of him or his work reminds me of his role in the 1984 genocide,” she said.
Recently a US-based Sikh human rights group, named Sikhs for Justice, lodged a criminal complaint against Bachchan in Australia for instigating and abetting 1984 anti Sikh riots. Australia’s ‘Criminal Code Act 1995′ states that Australian courts can have jurisdiction over cases involving crimes against humanity irrespective of whether the offense was committed in Australia or not.
Jagdish Kaur, then 42, had seen her husband and son being murdered in cold blood by a frenzied mob inside her house in Palam Colony (West Delhi) on November 1st 1984. She also saw her three brothers Narinder Pal Singh, 35, Raghwinder Singh, 28 and Kuldeep Singh ,21, all contractors with MES, burning to death by the mob while they were trying to save themselves.
Note: This news content was originally published at “Sikh Siyasat” on October 21, 2011.As the Sikhs in UK demanded arrest of Amitabh Bachchan, when he held the London Olympics torch at London on July 26, 2012; this news content is re-produced here to the knowledge of visiters/readers of Sikh Siyasat.