New Delhi: The Delhi High Court today reversed the decision of a trial court to acquit Sikh genocide instigator Sajjan Kumar. The High Court pronounced Sajjan Kumar guilty for instigating massacre of Sikhs during November 1984 Sikh Genocide and sentenced him to imprisonment for life.
Sikh Genocide 1984 instigator Sajjan Kumar.(File Photo)
In 2013, the trial court had convicted five persons, namely former councillor Balwan Khokkar, former legislator Mahender Yadav, Kishan Khokkar, Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal for their involvement in the case but Sajjan Kumar was acquitted. [READ MORE AT – Delhi trial court acquitted Sikh genocide 1984 accused Sajjan Kumar (2013/04/30)]
The CBI had challenged Sajjan Kumar’s acquittal in the High Court on which decision was announced today.
The court has allowed time to Sajjan Kumar till December 31 to surrender before the authorities to go to jail.
The court reportedly admitted to the fact that the perpetrators of the massacre of Sikhs in November 1984 enjoyed political patronage.
In another decision few days back the High Court judge had admitted that the November 1984 killings of Sikhs amounted to ‘genocide’. (READ MORE AT – “… Genocide… Has been Duly Proved and Established”: says Delhi High Court Judgement on 1984 Sikh Genocide Related Case)
⊕ RECOMMENDED FOR READING: → HOW TO LOOK AT DELHI COURT’S DECISION AWARDING STRICT PUNISHMENT TO KILLER OF SIKHS IN A 1984 RELATED CASE?
⊕ Indian Media Continues to Advance the Denial Policy of the Indian State:
The news reports related to conviction of Naresh Sehrawat and Yashpal Singh in a case related to 1984 genocide of Sikhs reveals that the Indian media continues to propagate the Indian state’s policy of denial. Media houses, including print and online Indian media, have used the term anti-Sikh riots to refer the 1984 Sikh genocide. The media reports continue to use such inappropriate terms while wilfully not using the term genocide to refer 1984 genocidal violence against the Sikhs in India. Notably, the Indian state denies the fact of 1984 Sikh genocide. Even prominent papers like The Indian Express and The Hindu have also use term “riots” for the Sikh Genocide 1984. Despite a message by the Akal Takht Sahib to refer the 1984 Sikh genocide as such even Punjabi vernacular Daily Ajit has used the “qatleam” (massacre) for the 1984 Sikh genocide. It is well established through research by genocide scholars that every genocide is followed by a denial. Genocide scholar Gregory H. Stanton terms denial and as eighth and never ending stage of denial.
⊕ Recognition for the fact of 1984 Sikh Genocide in Canada, USA and Delhi:
It is worth mentioning here that various state and city level authorities in Canada and the Untied States of America (USA) have officially recognised the fact of 1984 Sikh genocide. In 2015 the Delhi State Assembly in India also unanimously passed a motion to condemn the genocide of the Sikhs in India in 1984 but Indian media continues to snub this information. (READ MORE and ALSO READ a Copy of Sikh Genocide motion passed by the Delhi State Assembly in 2015).