Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has described the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as a "tragic and shameful" chapter in India's history, acknowledging that effective governance had collapsed during the violence while asserting that her husband, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, could never have authorised the killing of innocent people.
In her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, released on Tuesday, Gandhi reflects on the violence that followed the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, and the circumstances in which Rajiv Gandhi assumed office.
She writes that while Rajiv Gandhi harboured no prejudice or hostility towards the Sikh community, he had been thrust into a period of extraordinary political turmoil when the machinery of government failed to prevent widespread violence.
"But while his heart held no bigotry or rancour, there is no denying that he was thrust into a moment of the country's history when effective governance had foundered and barbaric acts followed," she writes.
๐ฆ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฎ'๐ ๐ธ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด
Recalling the events following Indira Gandhi's assassination, Sonia Gandhi says news of the killing spread rapidly across the country, triggering anger and unrest.
She notes that many people in Punjab and elsewhere had earlier welcomed the death of militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his associates, whom she describes as having pursued separatist objectives through violence.
However, the assassination of the Prime Minister intensified tensions, and violence broke out in Delhi and other parts of the country.
"By the afternoon, rioting had broken out in different parts of the city and beyond. Brutal acts of violence were committed against innocent Sikhs. More than 2,000 lost their lives in the capital alone, in the most cruel and cold-blooded manner," she writes.
Gandhi also recalls the widespread destruction of Sikh-owned homes, businesses and properties during the violence.
She says that in the immediate aftermath of the assassination, her thoughts were dominated by grief and concern for the safety of Rajiv Gandhi and their children.
๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ท๐ถ๐'๐ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ
In her account, Sonia Gandhi highlights Rajiv Gandhi's efforts to appeal for calm after taking oath as Prime Minister.
She says he appeared on national television on the night of October 31, urging people to maintain peace, in what was virtually his first public act after assuming office.
According to the memoir, Rajiv Gandhi also visited areas affected by communal tension, while members of his staff attempted to locate Sikh colleagues and ensure their safety.
On November 1, he again went out to speak to residents and appealed to them not to seek revenge.
Gandhi writes that he issued another nationwide televised appeal on November 2, invoking Indira Gandhi's words: "Do not shed blood, shed hatred".
Defending her husband's conduct, she says she remains convinced that he could not have sanctioned the violence.
"One thing I am certain of: Rajiv himself, just and compassionate to his core, could not in any way have authorised those heinous acts on innocent men, women, and children," she writes.
She argues that his immediate response, despite the personal trauma of losing his mother, demonstrated his opposition to the killings.
๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ถ๐น๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ
While defending Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi acknowledges the breakdown of governance during the riots.
She writes that the assassination had triggered an extraordinary crisis in which the administrative machinery came under severe strain.
"In retrospect, it's evident that the system had undergone a time of cataclysmic upheaval in which the structure of government had come under strain โ perhaps even broken down," she says.
The Congress leader also recalls Rajiv Gandhi's subsequent statement in Parliament acknowledging the enormity of the violence and the nation's collective responsibility.
"The terrible bloodbath of November 1984 was a carnage which will rest forever on the conscience of all decent Indians," Rajiv Gandhi had said.
He had also maintained that the traumatic circumstances surrounding the transition of power could not justify the killings.
"This is not an extenuating circumstance. We cannot forgive ourselves. It should never have happened," he had stated.
๐๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐ฒ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ
Sonia Gandhi also discusses the investigations and legal proceedings initiated over the decades following the riots.
She notes that several commissions of inquiry were established under successive Congress and non-Congress governments to investigate the violence and identify those responsible.
Criminal proceedings were initiated against several individuals, including Congress members accused of instigating or directing attacks against Sikhs, she writes.
She also states that cases were registered against members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for alleged involvement in the killings.
Referring to the hundreds of FIRs registered in connection with the violence, Gandhi says only a small number resulted in arrests of Congress workers.
She notes that despite four commissions, nine committees and two special investigation teams, several cases have continued to remain pending before courts.
"Justice has been hard to come by for the victims," she acknowledges.
Gandhi says the prolonged legal proceedings reflect a broader systemic failure in delivering justice, which successive governments have been unable to adequately address.
๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐-๐ฆ๐ถ๐ธ๐ต ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ
The former Congress president also rejects the suggestion that the 1984 violence reflected any longstanding hostility between her party and the Sikh community.
She asserts that the Congress has consistently recognised the contribution of Sikhs to India's development and national life.
Pointing to subsequent electoral victories of the Congress in Punjab, Gandhi argues that the Sikh community had continued to place its trust in the party despite the tragedy.
"The Sikhs of Punjab have returned the Congress to the State Assembly a number of times after the tragedy," she writes.
According to Gandhi, the violence should not be interpreted as evidence of an entrenched animosity towards the community.
She maintains that the massacre was not rooted in a longstanding institutional hostility against Sikhs, while acknowledging that the failure to deliver timely justice remains a serious concern.
Concluding her reflections, Gandhi says the shortcomings of the criminal justice system have persisted across governments, leaving many victims and their families waiting for accountability more than four decades after the violence.