Former Delhi Congress leaders Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar-figure prominently as conspirators in the horrific anti-Sikh riots in Delhi four decades ago in November 1984 where more than 3000 Sikhs were butchered. While Tytler has been acquitted Kumar is still in the dock like so many other politicians. Later over two decades back, in 2002 another horrific communal pogrom was unleashed in Gujarat in February when over one thousand innocent victims were slaughtered. Despite filing of countless FIRs and a total of nearly a dozen inquiry commissions, the guilty in both cases have not been brought to book while victims are forced to accept the reality that they will never receive justice. In 1984 in the wake of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her two Sikh bodyguards on October 31 more than three thousand Sikhs were brutally killed, houses burnt and looted. Yet, despite the passage of time and the establishment of nine inquiry commissions, justice remains elusive for the thousands of victims who suffered during those dark days. In the two decades following the tragedy, these nine commissions were tasked with uncovering the truth. Seven focused on specific aspects of the violence, such as the Ahuja Committee in 1987, which determined the official death count. The remaining two-the Ranganath Misra Commission, formed in 1985, and the Justice GT Nanavati Commission, whose final report was released in 2005-were charged with investigating the full scope of the violence.The findings of the Ranganath Misra and Nanavati Commissions are particularly significant and continue to resonate. Both reports are filled with harrowing testimonies from victims and witnesses, alongside depositions from individuals accused of involvement, including police officers who were on duty in the hardest-hit areas. However, a troubling disconnect exists between the testimonies recorded and the conclusions reached by these commissions. In fact, the commissions’ own observations often contradict their findings, raising serious questions about the integrity of the investigation process. For thirty years, the narrative that the violence following Gandhi’s death was a spontaneous outburst of grief has persisted, supported in part by the conclusions drawn from these reports. While the initial violence on October 31 could be seen as a spontaneous reaction, the evidence shows that it quickly escalated into a coordinated massacre, which continued unabated from November 1 to November 3.Human Rights Watch on February 24, 2012 noted that authorities in Gujarat state were subverting justice, protecting perpetrators, and intimidating those promoting accountability ten years after the anti-Muslim riots that killed nearly 2,000 people. The inquiry commissions into the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots in New Delhi and the 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat expose a grim reality of India’s justice system, where delays are the norm rather than the exception. Decades after these atrocities, justice remains elusive, leaving victims disillusioned and despairing. These investigations cast a harsh light on the failures of the police forces across multiple states while the judiciary seemingly content in merely playing its role. This distortion of justice is a matter of deep shame as accused evade accountability. The persistent failure to deliver justice to the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and the Anti- Muslim pogrom in Gujarat reflect a broader issue within India’s legal and political systems. Until the truth is fully acknowledged and justice is served, the wounds of 1984 and 2002 will remain a deep and painful scar on the nation’s conscience.
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