The 1984 Sikh Genocide took place in India during the period 31 October and 4 November 1984, following the assassination of the then Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, by her two Sikh bodyguards, in response for her decision, six months prior, to send in the army into the Sikh Golden Temple. A section of the ruling Congress (I) Party decided on a plan to take revenge on innocents Sikhs, with the help of the local police.

However, at the time and afterward, the crimes were framed as the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, masking the full extent of the organised and targeted genocidal murders and rapes. At least 8,000 were killed in 4-days of violent attacks, similar to the number killed in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, recognised as a genocide. Speeches made by local Congress (I) MPs prior to the attacks lay bear the intention by the perpetrators to kill as many Sikhs as possible, and rape women and girls. There is also evidence to suggest the plan of extermination was put together months in advance, with the collection of Sikh resident and business data following Operation Bluestar, which was subsequently used by the death squads to identify the Sikh victims for attack.

While scores of Congress (I) MPs and many more Councillors were named by victims as their part in the violence, including local policemen, to date, only one former Congressman, Sajjan Kumar was convicted in his part in the murders in 2018.

Here, we explore how it came about, the events preceding it, how it was allowed to take place and, without genuine accountability, the effect it had on the survivors and their families to this day.

discover the 1984 Sikh archive Youtube channel


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