The anti-Sikh riots of 1984 mark "one of the darkest years" in modern Indian history, a US Senator has said, as he underlined the need to remember the atrocities committed against the Sikh community so that those responsible may be held accountable.
Violence erupted in Delhi and other parts of the country after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984.
Over 3,000 Sikhs were killed across India, mostly in the national capital.
“1984 marks one of the darkest years in modern Indian history. The world watched as several violent incidents broke out among ethnic groups in India, with several notably targeting the Sikh community,” Senator Pat Toomey said on the Senate floor. “Today we are here to remember the tragedy that commenced on November 1, 1984, following decades of ethnic tension between Sikhs in the Punjab province and the central Indian Government,” he said recently.
“To prevent future human rights abuses, we must recognise their past forms. We must remember the atrocities committed against Sikhs so that those responsible may be held accountable and that this type of tragedy is not repeated against the Sikh community or other communities across the globe,” Toomey, a Republican, said.