Washington: Describing the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as one of the “darkest” years in modern Indian history, the US Senator has stressed the need to remember the atrocities committed on Sikhs so that those responsible for it can be brought to justice.
Violence broke out in Delhi and other parts of the country after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.
More than 3,000 Sikhs were killed across India in this violence. Senator Pat Toomey said in his speech to the Senate, “The year 1984 is one of the darkest years in modern Indian history. The world has seen a number of violent incidents between ethnic groups in India, many of which specifically target the Sikh community. Today, we are here to recall the tragedy that took place on November 1, 1984, in the Indian state of Punjab after decades of caste tensions between the Sikhs and the Central Government.”