How did the Sikh Genocide in Delhi Start in 1984

Indira Assassination

While Indira Gandhi's dead body lay rotting in All India Medical Institute, a political wrangling began within the Congress party leaders. While some were in favor of promoting Pranab Mukherjee, the senior most Congress leader as the next Prime Minister of India, The other group comprising of Gandhi-Nehru family loyalists were suggesting the coronation of Rajiv Gandhi as the natural successor. This coterie included powerful ministers and administrators such as Arun Nehru, HKL Bhagat, Jagdish Tytler, Lalit Maken, Sajjan Kumar, and RK Dhawan, Their worry was that the decision lies in the hands of President Zail Singh who was out of the country on an official visit to North Yemen. They couldn't trust a Zail Singh, a Sikh to support the line of succession. So a conspiracy was hatched to put pressure on the President as soon as he reached the AIMS straight from the airport.

Arun Nehru escorting Zail Singh at AIIMS

Gandhi's cousin and the leader of coterie, Arun Nehru escorted Giani Zail Singh when he arrived at the hospital. The presidents cavalcade passed through the mob carrying sticks and lighted torches. President’s car was attacked near the main crossing near AIIMS. They broke the glasses of the car and wanted to throw lighted torches on it. 

President Cavalcade Attacked

His personal bodyguard was attacked and had to flee on his motorcycle. All this was staged by the Congress leaders to put pressure on the president so he is forced to select Rajiv Gandhi as next prime minister. 

Sikh Bodyguard of President attacked

The president went to his residence, the Rashtrapati Bhavan and began consultations on the choice for the next leader of the country. This suspense was too much for some Congressmen to digest. They feared Giani Zail Singh was preparing to announce Pranab Mukherjee as the next prime minister. To put more pressure on Giani, they began organized pogroms and started attacking Sikhs on the streets, burning taxis, tucks, and businesses. 

Sikh Bus Passenger attacked in Delhi

This violence was led by congress leaders and the mobs were provided with sticks, iron rods, kerosene oil, inflammable powder, and voters list to find and kill Sikhs in Delhi. Some congress leaders took this responsibility seriously. Among them were Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler, HKL Bhagat, Dharamdass Shastri, Lalit Maken, and small time local leader named Arjun Dass. The chief minister of Haryana, Bhajan Lal is charged for supplying Haryana Roadways buses, weapons, and goon to assist the Delhi congressmen.

The mood was somber at the 1, Safdarjang Road, the residence of the assassinated prime minister of India. The dead body lay on an ice slab in the main hall embalmed to slow down the rotting. Incense were burned to mask the smell and crowds began pouring in. Some were crying, others looked stunned, and some were clearly angry and shouting slogans against the Sikhs.

Wailing at 1, Safdarjand Road

The Information and Broadcasting Minister HKL Bhagat played a devious role in using the national TV to instigate violence against the Sikhs. Doordarshan,the national TV controlled by the I&B Ministry was telecasting the public viewing of the dead body live. The footage showed angry congress workers shouting "Khoon ka Badla Khoon se Lenge" or "Blood for Blood" again and again to instigate the mobs on the streets. This went on for three full days. The recorded footage of slogan shouting congress workers were replayed every 30 minutes till the funeral.

Rioters burning Sikh Properties in delhi

Little did they know that Giani Zail Singh was a weak individual who willingly agreed to swear Rajiv Gandhi in as soon as instructed.

Rajiv Gandhi as Prime Minister of India

The violence went out of control and thousands of Sikhs were butchered alive on the streets of Delhi. They were pulled out of buses, trains, businesses, and homes and killed brutally by rampaging mobs. Many Sikh leaders called the President to help stop the violence. But Giani Zail Singh was helpless. He was a virtual prisoner in his palace with no ability to influence the new leadership. His phone calles to Rajiv Gandhi were not even answered. 

Tension between the President and Prime Minister

The government ignored the pleas of the president, the opposition, and many concerned citizens of the country. Leader of opposition, Atal Bihari Vajpaee himself risked his own life to save the lives of Sikh taxi drivers outside his home. His calls to Delhi administration and the home minster were also ignored. Rajiv went on air on October 31 to plead: "Nothing would hurt the soul of our beloved Indira Gandhi more than the occurrence of violence in any part of the country." Next day, TV showed Rajiv Gandhi admonishing Congress workers walking past the dead body shouting the slogan, "Khoon ka badla khoon".

Hapless Delhi Police in 1984

Delhi Police played dumb and openly sided with the violent mobs. In some cases, they even assisted in disarming the Sikhs before they were killed by the mobs. The pleas to call in Army were ignored for three full days and excuses were made that the government is busy preparing for the funeral. By the afternoon of October 31, the mobs started gathering. By the evening, vengeance was prowling the streets. The carnage began at nightfall. The responsibility for controlling the violence was vested in the senior-most minister, home minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, and one of the country's best-known civil servants, Delhi's lieutenant governor. They all failed. Why? Was it because the orders were coming from the "Top"?

Indira's State Funeral

The funeral was held with international digintories beginning to arrive in Delhi to attend the ceremony. All of sudden the violence sopped as if someone has turned the switch off. The military was called in an the killings stopped immediately.

UPDATE!!! Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in January 2018 has said that Rajiv Gandhi drove a car and took him and a security guard to various places in north and west Delhi on November 1, 1984, a day after the killing of Indira Gandhi that sparked the riots. He confirmed that Rajiv Gandhi "recced" some areas of Delhi with him in an Ambassador car to assess the situation. He said Rajiv Gandhi was extremely anguished and had told party MPs from Delhi to visit their constituencies and take steps to "contain" the violence. Important to note the fact that the violence escalated a day after the assassination and Congress leaders were seen instigating and leading the mobs against Sikh civilians in Delhi.

Jagdish Tytler with Indira;s ashes

Delhi Congress leaders like Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler were the small pawns in this violent design. The real responsibility for the massacre has been placed at the door of the Indian prime minister. Did Rajiv Gandhi instruct the Congress MPs on November 1st to increase the violence against Sikhs in their constituencies? Later, Rajiv Gandhi justified the carnage on national TV by saying that "when a big tree falls, the earth shakes".

Sikh Boy asking for Justice