1984 riots: Sikhs protest outside United Nations headquarters demanding justice

NEW YORK: Hundreds of Sikhs protested outside the United Nations headquarters here demanding justice in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case even as a report on the killings and human rights abuses against the community was presented to the world body.

Victims of the 1984 riots met with officials of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) here yesterday, sharing evidence and documentary evidence about riots that followed the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The victims also told Human Rights Officer Stenfano Sensi of OHCHR about the alleged role of Congress leaders in the riots while hundreds of Sikhs from North America rallied outside the UN Headquarters on the 30th anniversary of the anti-Sikh riots.

Rights group 'Sikhs For Justice' (SFJ) submitted a report titled 'November 1984 Sikh Genocide' to Sensi for submission to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

According to attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor to SFJ, "First time in 30 years UN afforded an opportunity to the victims of November 1984 to present in person testimony and evidence to show that violence against Sikhs was genocidal in nature".

"The facts and evidence presented to the Human rights Commission proves that 1984 violence is Genocide as per article 2 of the Genocide Convention," added Pannun.

During the conversations, survivors of the riots Gurdeep Kaur and Jasbir Singh shared their experiences.