Amritsar (June 27, 2011): AISSF and SFJ announced after the July 15 “Justice Rally” at Jantar Mantar, a criminal complaint will be filed against Home Minister P. Chidambaram for urging the Sikhs to “forgive” and “move on” from the November 1984 events in which thousands of Sikhs were killed. As of today, not a single leader has been sentenced for organizing these attacks. The criminal complaint will be filed under section 153B(1)(b) of the IPC for advising Sikhs a religious group to forget their right to get justice as citizens of India for the crimes committed against them in November 1984.
Indian Penal Code provides that:
153B Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration –
Whoever, by words either spoken or written or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise –
(b) asserts, counsels, advises, propagates or publishes that any class of persons by reason of their being members of any religious, racial, language or regional group or caste or community be denied, or deprived of their rights as citizens of India.”
According to Karnail Singh Peermohammad, President AISSF, Home Minister Chidambaram’s statement advising Sikhs a to “forgive” and “move on” while not a single leader has been sentenced, is an open declaration of impunity and religious minorities should not expect that their killers will ever be prosecuted by Indian Justice System. Thousands of Sikh women in “Widow Colony” Delhi and other parts of India are languishing for justice for the last 26 years will not forget or forgive unless those responsible for the killing of their families are punished by the Indian Courts, added Peermohammad.
In a statement issued from New York by Sikh for Justice (SFJ) which is pursuing legal battle on behalf of the victims and survivors of November 1984, Union Home Minister’s statement is a clear violation of section 153B(1)(b) as it counsels the Sikh community to forgo their “right to justice” as provided under Indian Law and Constitution. After failing to prosecute the perpetrators and planners of November 1984 killing of, Union Home Minister Chidambaram has now gone a step further by suggesting that Sikhs should stop seeking justice and “move on”, stated Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor to SFJ.
According to Bibi Jagdish Kaur, prime witness against Congress (I) leader Sajjan Kumar’s role in organizing deadly attacks on Sikhs in November 1984, Chidambaram’s statement proves that Congress (I) leaders were responsible for the killing of Sikhs in November 1984. Home Minister’s appeal to Sikh community to “move on” is an utter disrespect to the victims of November 1984 and shows Indian Government’s indifferent attitude towards imparting justice to the Sikh community, added Jagdish Kaur. On July 15, AISSF, SFJ and victims of 1984 from all over India are holding a Justice Rally and a “Civil Disobedience Movement” is being launched to secure the release of Professor Bhullar. A memorandum will also be submitted to the President of India demanding:
(a) Release of Professor Bhullar who has already served longer than “life sentence”. (b) Transfer Professor Bhullar to Germany who has already agreed to take him. (c) Pay adequate compensation for lengthy illegal custody of Professor Bhullar. (d) Issue a statement apologizing for gross miscarriage of justice in Bhullar’s case.