1984 survivor alleges attempt to erase history in Sonia Gandhi's book

A survivor has termed the description of the 1984 violence in the recently released memoirs of Sonia Gandhi, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', as completely false. According to a News18 report, Surjit Singh, who survived the 1984 anti-Sikh violence, has alleged that the book is an attempt to erase history and hide the truth, thereby ignoring the suffering of the victims.

Surjit Singh has refused to accept these events as mere riots. He stated in clear terms, "It was a genocide, not a riot." Recalling the horrific memories of that time, he stated that 7 members of his family, including his father, were burnt alive before his eyes. This violence changed his family's life forever.

Describing the scenes of that time, he stated that corpses were lying on the roads, people were being burnt alive, and atrocities were committed by placing tyres around the necks of victims. Additionally, he spoke about the alleged sexual violence against women during the attacks. Despite decades passing, Surjit Singh says that the pain is still fresh today.

Surjit Singh has raised serious questions regarding the lack of political accountability. He alleged that although remembrance programmes are held every year on November 1, 2, and 3 in memory of the victims of the 1984 violence, no senior leader of the Congress has come forward to meet the affected families living in Tilak Nagar, Delhi. He specifically named Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi, alleging that none of these three have visited the affected families or attempted to listen to their agony.

He further stated that the widowed women who lost their husbands in this violence and still reside in the same areas have also not been visited by Congress leaders. Surjit Singh believes that even after four decades, it would be of great significance if the political leadership acknowledged the suffering of the victims.

Consequently, he has demanded that Sonia Gandhi and the Congress leadership tender a public apology in Parliament for the suffering of the victims. He added that a public apology and the acknowledgement of the suffering endured by the victims would be a meaningful step in demonstrating a true sense of remorse.

Sonia Gandhi's book 'Belonging: A Journey of Love' was released on November 10. In this book, she describes her life journey from her first meeting with Rajiv Gandhi at a Cambridge restaurant in 1965 to becoming one of India's longest-serving political figures. Due to this book, the events of 1984 have once again become the centre of political debate.