When the State bowed out in 1984

In the year 1984, people turned against each other. Indian cities witnessed a genocide against the Sikh community. One would’ve expected the party in power to have done everything to avoid such a situation or to calm it as soon as possible. On the contrary, law and order fled the states, the police forces refused to take action against the destructors, it was obvious that the protector of the people had abandoned its role- the state had bowed out.

Rubble after a trail of violence and destruction. Image source: The Economic Times

"I saw PCR vans on the roads. But not one of them stopped to see why a big mob was trying to vandalise my house."

"My brother ran to the police station behind our house. I saw him beg, but he was kicked out. As soon as he turned around to walk back home, the constable shot him twice. My brother died on the street, and we didn't even get his body."

"My neighbour told me not to cry while my parents died before my eyes. I was raised like a princess, but I worked as a maid for the rest of my life."

These are a few statements from the survivors of accounts of the anti-Sikh riots. Killings and unimaginable atrocities were rampant across major cities of the country, especially in those areas where the Sikhs were in the majority.

Many survivors claim that the state failed to protect them and even refused to do so. Nowhere was the police found helpful. There were hardly any instances of the authorities coming to the aid of the Sikhs. But mostly, the kindness of the police was unheard of at that time.

The bereaved weren't allowed to perform the last rites or even see the dead bodies of the deceased, and most victims could not even file FIRs.

As per the Nanavati Commission, many high ranking officials abdicated their duty and responsibility during the riots. Upon investigation, it was found that the police gave a free hand to the mobs and let them wreak havoc across the Sikh dominated areas in Delhi.

One might question the role of media. But before doing so, we must keep in mind that Doordarshan and All India Radio were the major disseminators of news. This meant that any coverage of the riots was minimal, and no one cared to question the police or why the state had failed to protect a section of citizens.

If anything, the two platforms kept repeating how the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi took place. It was only after a month or so that the national dailies began reporting on the scale of destruction.

1984 was one of those unfortunate years when people did the unexpected. No one would have ever thought that the Prime Minister of India would be assassinated by her two bodyguards, friends and neighbours would turn into enemies in a split second, and the state turned a blind eye to all that was happening. But it did happen- in the year 1984, the state bowed out.