BJP's 'Zakhm 84 De' Conclave Opens with Photo Exhibition on the 1984 Sikh Massacre

Chandigarh, November 4: The Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party today opened its one-day conclave, 'Zakhm 84 De', at Hotel Parkview, Sector 24, with a photographic exhibition on the 1984 Sikh massacre. The exhibition was inaugurated by former union minister and Lok Sabha MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon and Punjab BJP In-charge Dr. Satish Poonia.

Mounted on large panels with Punjabi captions, the black-and-white archival photographs bring the events of 1984 before the younger generation. They show the burning of Sikh homes and jhuggis in Trilokpuri, Sikh shops set ablaze at Connaught Place, and the aftermath in Delhi's lanes. Another panel depicts families uprooted from their homes, sitting with the belongings they managed to save, while another records Sikhs being dragged out of buses.

The exhibition presents incidents, evidence and the human suffering caused by the massacre, 42 years after the tragedy.

The conclave runs from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Its sessions will bring together survivors, eyewitnesses, legal experts, former judges and community representatives to discuss the four-decade legal battle for justice and the rehabilitation of affected families.

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'84 Ke Zakhm' and 'Chitte Di Peeda' Two Deep Blots on Punjab: Ravi Shankar Prasad Addresses Sombre Inaugural Session of BJP’s ‘Zakhm 84 De’ Conclave

Day begins on an emotional note with solemn Ardas and archival photo exhibition reviving painful memories of 1984 Sikh massacre

Senior advocate & MP Ravi Shankar Prasad tears into Congress's 42-year legacy of cover-ups; asks Rahul Gandhi why party shielded Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler, and Kamal Nath

State BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon slams Congress’s 'hypocrisy' for holding rallies in Punjab while rubbing salt into 42-year-old unhealed wounds

Chandigarh, November 4-In a deeply emotional and sombre atmosphere marked by the presence of 1984 massacre victim families and survivors, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) commenced its day-long conclave, 'Zakhm 84 De', at Hotel Parkview, Sector 24, Chandigarh today.
The morning began on a reverent note with a solemn Ardas offered for the eternal peace of the martyrs and for the ongoing pursuit of justice. Ahead of the deliberations, a special archival photographic exhibition documenting the harrowing scenes of November 1984—burning dwellings in Trilokpuri, gutted establishments across Connaught Place, displaced families clutching remnants of their belongings, and Sikhs being pulled out of buses—was inaugurated by former Union Minister and Lok Sabha MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon, and State In-charge Dr. Satish Poonia. The powerful black-and-white displays brought back painful memories and set a reflective, solemn tone across the gathering.

Delivering the keynote address during the opening session, senior advocate and Patna Sahib MP Ravi Shankar Prasad expressed deep anguish while sharing the stage with victim families.

“Two deep blots stain Punjab’s soul today: '84 ke zakhm' (the wounds of 1984) and 'chitte di peeda' (the agony of drug addiction). These wounds cannot heal without uncompromised justice," Prasad stated.

Launching a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Prasad questioned the timing and intent of his political events in Punjab:

"On November 1, Congress staged a rally in Delhi, and today they hold a political event here. Why rub salt into these raw wounds? Rajiv Gandhi infamous statement on November 19, 1984—'When a big tree falls, the earth shakes'—sought to rationalize the butcher of thousands of innocent Sikhs.”

He said, “As I&B Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, I ensured that the video evidence of that horrific statement, which had vanished from public archives, was restored to the public domain.”
He posed a question to Rahul Gandhi: “What is your stand on your father’s statement? Why have you or your family never tendered a sincere apology to the nation?"

Deconstructing four decades of institutional cover-ups, Prasad pointed out that the Congress motto remained "Lakhana, Bhatkana, Jhatkaana" (delay, distract, and dismiss).
He referred to the setting up of commissions after commissions and said there was never an intent to secure justice within the Congress.
"Even Dr. Manmohan Singh’s tenure could not deliver convictions against them.”
He said, “Congress cared nothing about 3,500 innocent dead; they only moved heaven and earth to shield three or four key leaders. It was only when the Narendra Modi government stepped in, formed the SIT, and Justice Dhingra’s recommendations were enforced that convictions like Sajjan Kumar’s were secured," he asserted, acknowledging the relentless courtroom courage of Senior Advocate H.S. Phoolka.
Addressing the gathering, Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon paid tribute to the victim families present in the hall, stating that Rajiv Gandhi's cold justification still sends shivers down the spine 42 years later.
"The community that forgets its past forgets its future. We have neither forgotten 1984 nor will we allow it to be forgotten. While Rahul Gandhi holds rallies in Sangrur hypocritically preaching 'insaaf', the people of Punjab know that justice can never come from the very hands that inflicted these wounds,” Dhillon said, adding, “The BJP will not rest until the last perpetrator is brought to book.”
Moderating the session, BJP National Spokesperson Sardar R.P. Singh recalled the long legal battle that broke the culture of impunity, reiterating the party's unwavering pledge to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the victims until full accountability is achieved.

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984 Sikh Massacre Victims Challenge Rahul Gandhi to an Open Debate

Congress Neither Apologised Nor Made Any Effort to Heal the Wounds of the Victims: Survivors

Justice Would Never Have Been Delivered Had Congress Remained in Power: Victims

Chandigarh, November 4:During the second session, titled “The Sikh Massacre: When and How,” at the ‘Zakhm 84’ conference, victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre recounted the horrific atrocities they endured and their decades-long struggle for justice. The session was attended by Nirpreet Kaur, Satpal Kaur, Darshan Kaur, Sonia Kaur, Jagsher Singh, and several other survivors.
Sharing the harrowing experiences of their families during the massacre, Bibi Nirpreet Kaur recalled how she witnessed her family being torn apart at the age of just 16 and how she subsequently had to wage a prolonged battle for justice. The victims accused Congress of neither apologising for the massacre nor making any effort to heal their wounds. They also challenged Rahul Gandhi to an open debate.
Moderating the session, R.P. Singh began by pointing out that Rahul Gandhi had recently been issuing challenges for debates. He, too, challenged Gandhi to debate the 1984 massacre with Ravi Shankar Prasad, H.S. Phoolka, and Bibi Nirpreet Kaur.
The survivors who shared their testimonies repeatedly urged Rahul Gandhi to debate the role of his family, the Congress party, and Congress governments in the anti-Sikh massacre. Describing the massacre as a well-planned conspiracy, they accused Congress of failing to apologise and ensure justice for the victims.

The Story of Nirpreet Kaur
Nirpreet Kaur recalled that she was 16 years old at the time of the 1984 massacre and that her family lived in Power Colony, Delhi. On October 31, Balwan Khokhar visited their home and offered to employ her brother as a driver. However, she alleged that the offer was merely a pretext to ascertain the number of family members.
That night, two policemen visited their home and assured the family of protection. The following day, a mob allegedly involving Balwan Khokhar, Krishna Khokhar, and others surrounded their house. The mob was allegedly incited to kill her nine-year-old brother, who was referred to as a “snake's offspring.” Her father tried to protect the children, while the family endured the mob's attack for nearly four hours.
Their truck was set ablaze. After the police allegedly pressured the family to reach a compromise, the house came under attack once again.
Nirpreet Kaur accused Sajjan Kumar of standing in front of a police jeep and instigating the mob against Sikhs. She said that several lives were saved with the help of Air Force Wing Commander N.S. Pannu.
She further recounted that she was arrested under the TADA and imprisoned, including at Tihar Jail. Her husband was also allegedly killed in a fake police encounter. Despite the proceedings of the Nanavati Commission and the reopening of her father's case, her struggle for justice continued for years.

Atrocities Committed Against Women
During the session, Bhagi Kaur recounted the horrific atrocities committed against women, stating that they were stripped naked, forced to sit in that condition, and gang-raped throughout the night.
It was also stated that a butcher named Kishori Lal had killed seven Sikhs using a meat-cleaver-like weapon. The Congress government led by Sheila Dikshit allegedly made efforts to have his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment.
Satpal Kaur recalled that she was just 11 years old when her neighbours saved her and her four sisters by hiding them under a cot. The sisters were subsequently placed in Nari Niketan, where H.S. Phoolka traced them and, through legal proceedings, secured their custody for their maternal grandfather.
To support and raise her three sisters, Satpal Kaur had to wash utensils in people's homes for a meagre Rs. 20 per household. She stated that she received neither employment nor a pension.

Murder of Captain Ghuman
Another victim recounted the killing of retired Captain Ghuman Singh Chahal, who had fought in four wars. Despite being paralysed, he was allegedly burnt alive in his own home. His son's academic degrees were also destroyed in the fire.
Jagsher Singh recalled witnessing the violence in Palam when he was just 18 years old. He said that Pandit Ram Avtar had provided him shelter during that period. He also referred to allegations that Sajjan Kumar had instigated the mob and highlighted the crucial role played by the Sikh Regiment and the Air Force in rescuing people.
He further recounted the difficulties faced during the CBI investigation and while giving evidence before the courts.