1984 Delhi Sikh Genocide - Affidavits

Affidavit submitted before the Misra Commission

I, Harbans Singh son of S. Prem Singh resident of J-7, East Vinod Nagar, Delhi-91, do hereby solemnly state on oath that: -

1. On Oct. 31, 1984, I was at my village Meesoodpur, Kapurthala, Punjab. When I heard about the assassination of Indira Gandhi, I started for Delhi on 1.11.84 at 7 AM from Ambala. I boarded Shan-e-Punjab. Many persons had assembled at Ambala and were shouting anti-Sikh slogans. There was crowd at the platform and people were saying that no Sikh should escape from Bhajan Lal's Haryana. When the train reached Subzi Mandi, I saw many houses and shops ablaze. When the train reached New Delhi Station, there were very few persons at the platform. I came out from the Ajmeri Gate side.

2. One gentleman told me that Sikhs were being attacked outside and that I should remain there. But I was worried about my house. From there I boarded a cycle-ricksaw and started towards the Income Tax office side. After crossing the I.T.O. bridge the rickshaw driver refused to proceed ahead. I set on foot towards Shakarpur.

3. There were four policemen with rifles standing near the Octroi post. I requested them to allow me remain there for night because it was 11 PM. They told me that I cannot remain there and I should go from the side of open fields. I proceeded towards the fields. Hardly had I gone to some distance that a mob came at the Octroi post and the policemen told them that a Sikh had gone through that side. I got scared because I personally heard this. I hid the sword with me under a pipe.

4. The mob ran and caught hold of me. They had iron rods, sickles, kerosene oil tins with them and they smelled of liquor. When I was taken to the Octroi post I requested the policemen there to help me but they refused. The mob, took me to the School block, Shakarpur while beating and hurling abuses at me. Somebody from the mob was shouting tht I should burnt to death after sprinkling kerosene oil upon me. Then one gentleman said, "He has only one arm. How can he harm us?" Then somebody suggested that my hair be cut. Then they started cutting my hair with a sickle. There was a girl also in the mob. She said that it will be painful with sickle. She ran, brought a pair of scissors and cut my hair. One gentleman cut my beard. Then they abandoned me at Shakarpur Gurdwara. The Gurdwara was damaged. I remained there upto 4am.

5. On 2.11.84 I set on foot towards Vinod Nagar side. On the outskirts of Vinod Nagar, a boy named Pappu met and told me that all the Sikhs of Vinod Nagar had been killed last night. Those killed included my son Bhupinder Singh aged 20 years, also Pappu showed me the site where his dead body was lying. On seeing the partially burnt body of my son I started weeping bitterly.

6. When I reached Vinod Nagar, all the women and children there were weeping. Their husbands and sons had been killed. I remained in my house.

7. The police came on 3.11.84 at 9 PM loaded and carried away the dead bodies in a truck. They told me that if I wanted the dead body, I should come to the hospital. I had shattered so much that I did not have the strength to go to the hospital to claim the dead body of my son. My house had been looted and burnt completely. All the doors and windows were set ablaze. Similar was the fate of every house belonging to Sikhs and the Gurdwara.

 

 

 

 

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