Scottish National Party MSP Kaukab Stewart presents motion in UK Parliament on 1984 anti-Sikh violence
PTC Web Desk: Kaukab Stewart, a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) representing Glasgow Kelvin since May 2021 and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), has brought a motion to the UK Parliament addressing the anti-Sikh violence of 1984.
The motion, presented by Scottish National Party MSP Kaukab Stewart, vividly recollects the harrowing events of violence against Sikh individuals, including men, women, and children, that unfolded during October and November 1984 in India. The motion underscores the enormity of the tragedy, with reports suggesting that thousands of Sikhs lost their lives, while many others endured assaults, torture, and sexual violence.
Sikh residences, businesses, and sacred places also fell victim to vandalism and destruction. The motion notably spotlights the enduring suffering of Sikh women who survived these abhorrent acts and draws attention to the "Widow Colony" in New Delhi, where victims continue to seek justice for the atrocities perpetrated against them and their families.
Recognising the profound and lasting psychological impact on the global Sikh community, including in Scotland, the motion underscores the urgent need for acknowledgment and redress for the emotional wounds left by these traumatic events.
The motion submitted by MSP Kaukab Stewart states," That the Parliament remembers the violence against Sikh men, women, and children in India in October and November 1984; notes reports that, from 31 October to 4 November 1984, over 3,000 Sikhs were murdered across India, with some estimates suggesting that the number of lives taken could be as high as 17,000; understands that Sikhs were assaulted and tortured, and that Sikh women were sexually assaulted and raped by groups of attackers; notes from reports that Sikh homes, businesses and places of worship (Gurdwaras) were looted, ransacked and destroyed; understands that the so-called Widow Colony, in the Tilak Vihar neighbourhood of New Delhi, India’s capital city, to this day, still houses Sikh women who were assaulted, raped, tortured, and forced to witness the dismemberment, burning, and murder of their families, and who continue to call for justice against the perpetrators, and considers that the Sikh community in Scotland, and across the globe, has not recovered from what it sees as the emotional and deep psychological trauma of these events."
- With inputs from our correspondent
