The Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday handed over official Government appointment letters to dependents of families affected by the 1984 Sikh riots at the Delhi Secretariat. The event was attended by Cabinet Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, President of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee Harmeet Singh Kalka, senior officials from the Revenue Department and families of the victims.
The Chief Minister stated that by distributing these appointment letters, the Delhi Government has not just provided jobs, but also recognised the dignity and identity of thousands of families who had waited decades for justice. She called this step as a landmark in the journey toward justice for the victims of the 1984 Sikh riots.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said, “The 1984 riots remain a dark chapter in the history of India - one that is impossible to forget. For those who lost loved ones, no compensation can ever be enough for their pain.” She further added, “The process of delivering justice to the riot victims and punishing the perpetrators truly began after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed power at the Centre.” In keeping with that decision, the Delhi Government is distributing appointment letters to guarantee these affected families a respectable living.
The Chief Minister stated, “This is not just an appointment — it is justice walking into their lives after forty years of silence and struggle. We cannot undo the past, but we can certainly improve their present.”
She added that over these four decades, the victims endured immense pain and hardship, yet no previous Government truly recogniSed their suffering or provided meaningful assistance. “Today, as we appoint 125 individuals, with 19 already having joined their duties, it is a moment of pride for all of us. This is more than a bureaucratic decision — it is a restoration of rightful entitlements.”
Cabinet Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, “This moment is deeply personal - not just as a minister, but as a member of a Sikh family that has endured this pain, this wait, this hope. I proudly say that Delhi Government has finally delivered what should have been theirs decades ago.” He added that this historic decision is a strong rebuke to the apathy of previous Governments, who failed to act despite repeated appeals from the victims.
“This appointment is historic in itself, as the Delhi Government has even relaxed eligibility conditions to ensure justice is served. Today’s process proves beyond doubt that while justice may be delayed, it is not always denied — it arrives and it arrives with dignity.”
Sirsa further stated, “What the previous Governments couldn’t achieve in ten years, our Government has accomplished in just 100 days. While earlier regimes tried to protect the accused of 1984, the Rekha Government has given appointment letters to the victims. That is the true face of justice.”