Families of victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, along with members of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), on Thursday burned copies of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's newly released memoir at Rakab Ganj Gurdwara, protesting against her account of the communal violence that followed the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
The demonstration was led by DSGMC president Harmeet Singh Kalka and general secretary Jagdeep Singh Kahlo, who accused the Congress leader of presenting an account that failed to adequately reflect the suffering of the Sikh community and the circumstances surrounding the massacre.
The protesters gathered at the Wall of Truth memorial inside the gurdwara complex, raised slogans against Gandhi and burned copies of her book, Belonging: A Journey of Love, which was released on Tuesday.
The DSGMC leaders maintained that families of those killed in the violence were still fighting for justice more than four decades after the tragedy.
๐๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ข๐ซ
Speaking to reporters, Kalka and Kahlo strongly objected to Gandhi's description of the 1984 violence, alleging that her account did not adequately acknowledge the experiences of the victims and their families.
They argued that the massacre remained one of the most painful chapters in the Sikh community's history and that any account of the events should reflect the gravity of the violence and the continuing demand for accountability.
The DSGMC leaders accused the Congress of attempting to reshape the public narrative surrounding the riots and said the community would oppose efforts that, in their view, diminished the responsibility of those involved.
They also reiterated that the passage of more than 40 years had not ended the struggle for justice, with several victims' families continuing to seek accountability for the killings.
๐๐๐ง๐๐ก๐ข'๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐
In her memoir, Gandhi describes the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as a "tragic and shameful" chapter in India's history.
She writes that her husband, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was confronted with an extraordinary crisis following his mother's assassination on October 31, 1984.
According to the memoir, Rajiv Gandhi's "heart held no bigotry or rancour", but he was thrust into a situation in which governance had failed and violence had overtaken the capital.
Gandhi recounts how news of Indira Gandhi's assassination spread rapidly, changing the atmosphere in Delhi and triggering violence in different parts of the city and elsewhere.
"More than 2,000 lost their lives in the capital alone, in the most cruel and cold-blooded manner," she writes.
The passage acknowledges the scale and brutality of the killings, but DSGMC representatives disputed the broader portrayal of Rajiv Gandhi and the circumstances surrounding the violence.
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The protesters also criticised Rajiv Gandhi over his widely cited remarks following his mother's assassination.
The former Prime Minister had compared the consequences of a large tree falling to the earth shaking, a statement that has repeatedly drawn criticism in connection with the anti-Sikh violence.
DSGMC leaders argued that the remark remained deeply hurtful to the families of those killed and questioned attempts to portray Rajiv Gandhi's response to the crisis sympathetically.
The committee maintained that the historical record should not overlook the failure to prevent the violence or the suffering experienced by Sikh families.
The 1984 anti-Sikh riots broke out following the assassination of Indira Gandhi by two of her Sikh bodyguards.
Thousands of Sikhs were killed in Delhi and other parts of the country during the violence, while many families lost their homes, livelihoods and relatives.
The killings subsequently became the subject of several investigations, commissions and prolonged legal proceedings.
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The DSGMC said it would continue pursuing legal action to ensure that those responsible for the violence were brought to justice.
Its leaders emphasised that the victims' families remained determined to secure accountability, regardless of the time that had elapsed since the massacre.
The protest at the Wall of Truth, a memorial dedicated to victims of the 1984 violence, was intended to underline the community's continuing demand for recognition and justice.
The demonstration also highlighted the enduring political sensitivity surrounding the riots, particularly debates over the responsibility of political leaders and the response of the authorities.
While Gandhi's memoir describes the massacre as a shameful episode, the DSGMC maintained that the account did not adequately address the grievances of the victims.
The committee said it would continue raising the issue and pursuing legal remedies until justice was delivered to the affected families.