1984 Sikh Genocide Victims to get Enhanced Compensation

In Delhi, the victims of 1984 Sikh Genocide will get an enhanced compensation of $6,000. President of Dashmesh Sewa Society and Ex-Member of DSGMC Inder Mohan Singh informed that the Delhi government has invited applications for claims from those who had already received ex-gratia relief of $7,000 as per guidelines of Indian union Ministry of Home Affairs issued on 16 Jan 2006 but had not received enhanced compensation till date. Although the government has not fixed a last date for claiming this enhanced compensation, Singh said the beneficiaries should apply at the earliest. Meanwhile, on 21 Dec, the Member of Legislature from Jamshedpur East, Saryu Rai raised the issue of people killed in the 1984 Sikh genocide in Jharkhand Assembly. Rai is an independent MLA who was earlier in the BJP. The violence in Jharkhand which was earlier part of Bihar state is much less talked about than the violence in Delhi (SDW Vol. 1 Issue 6, Story 1). However, there was massive violence in the districts of Palamu, Ranchi, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Dhanbad, and Jamshedpur. Rai said, ‘The victim Sikh families have not yet been able to get justice due to the indifference of the previous governments and the obstacles created by the authorities.’ Rai was referring to the writ petition by Satnam Singh Gambhir in the Jharkhand High Court. The judge had constituted a one-member inquiry commission in 2016. The commission did not even visit many homes and recommended compensation to only 41 people.