Remembering the 1984 Sikh Genocide as a Sikh

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Trigger warning: this article mentions violence, genocide, murder, and rape. If you or someone you know needs help or support, the HealthLink BC hotline is 811, or the 24/7 Wellness Together hotline is 1-866-585-0445. Help is available, please reach out. 

This November, Sikhs across the world are commemorating 39 years since the 1984 genocide against our community. Early November is a time for Sikhs to continue to #neverforget84.

In June of 1984 in New Delhi, then-prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi, ordered an attack on the holiest place for Sikhs, Harmandir Sahib in India, more commonly known as the Golden Temple. The attack, known as Operation Bluestar, took place to kill a singular activist and preacher, Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale, but ended the lives of over 5,000 Sikhs trapped inside Harmandir Sahib. 

On Oct. 31, 1984 Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards, Satwant Singh and Beant Singh. This was a significant moment for Sikhs because Gandhi facilitated violence against the community. 

The days following Gandhi’s assassination were some of the darkest days in Sikh history as it was an act of state sanctioned violence against Sikhs. When it was announced that two Sikhs had assassinated Gandhi, the violence that followed was unprecedented. From Nov. 1 to 3, a brutal massacre of Sikhs took place across India, with much of it concentrated in New Delhi. 

Members of the Indian National Congress have been accused of participating in and encouraging the genocide. Sikhs were murdered, raped, burnt alive, had their property destroyed, beaten, and driven out of their communities. Roughly 4,000 Sikh lives were lost in the three-day period, but this number is much higher. An estimate of over 8,000 Sikhs were murdered, while hundreds of thousands were displaced. 

Every Sikh family has a story about 1984. Whether they were in India or not, the fear, heartbreak, and resistance were and continue to be universally felt. 

The event is often mislabeled as a “riot,” but it is anything but. The genocide cannot, and must not, be construed as a riot. A riot enforces the idea that two groups were inciting violence against each other, when in reality, it was only Sikhs who experienced violence. 

Every year, my community remembers and fights for the genocide of our people to be recognized internationally. Given growing India-Canada tensions, I hope one day the international community will recognize the violence Sikhs faced not only in 1984, but continue to experience today, both in and outside of India. 

On June 18, 2023, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was assassinated outside of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara — just four blocks from Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Surrey campus. Nijjar was an outspoken advocate for a separate Sikh state, and many Sikhs agree he was assassinated for his advocacy. 

Jagtar “Jaggi” Singh Johal has been detained and tortured by the Indian government since Nov.  4, 2017. Johal is the founder of the cite NeverForget84, which documented the genocide and oppression of Sikhs. 

Violence against Sikhs will continue to happen until the perpetrator for said violence takes responsibility for the decades of trauma and fear. However, it is important to recognize that Sikhs are not stuck in fear. Sikh resistance and spirit have been rejuvenated, especially in recent years. Younger generations are taking more interest in Sikh history and resistance, and with social media, the amount of information and evidence available to the public has also increased. 

Manpreet Kaur Kalra, writer and social impact advisor, very eloquently wrote in an Instagram post, “We have experienced our genocide justified, narrative controlled, trauma denied [and] history denied.” 

November is a time of celebration for the Sikh community, and a time for heartache, but it is always the time to resist and speak up about our oppression.