Saranjit Singh

His school was burnt down; their Principal barely escaped with his life; his cousin’s truck was burned; and 1984 was etched in this child witness’ mind forever. A student of Guru Harkrishan Public School in Vasant Vihar, New Delhi 32 years ago, Saranjit Singh remembers the months leadings to November 1984 when Sikhs were openly demonized and deliberately factioned. He admits that as a Sikh family outside Punjab, they too first believed the propaganda: “[I] remember…there was this whole media saying militants, they had to be pruned out, and … there was also discussions about the wrong things happening in the Golden Temple…prostitutes and stuff like that!” Sikhs attacked across Punjab in June 1984 had been re-victimized by the media and even disbelieved by other Sikhs.Then, Sikh families across India were openly targeted in #November1984. Today, Singh talks to his own children about 1984 and firmly believes we need to make constant efforts to speak truth to power.