Spirit of secularism prevailed in riots: HC

A Delhi court, which accepted the CBI's clean chit to former Union Minister Jagdish Tytler in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, commended the people for displaying communal harmony.

A Delhi court, which accepted the CBI's clean chit to former Union Minister Jagdish Tytler in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, commended the people for displaying communal harmony. He said the Muslims rescued several Sikhs at the time of carnage in the national capital.

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Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Rakesh Pandit praised the people for showing a positive attitude towards life and harmony during the riots.

“It shows inherent strength of secularism and cohesive bonding between the people recognising themselves as Indians,” the court said.

Referring to the case relating to the killing of Sikhs on November 1, 1984, near Gurdwara Pulbangash a day after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the court said the people acted to save the lives of victims irrespective of their religion.

“This court wants to express a feeling that though on or around November 1, 1984, there were large-scale killings, mostly by unknown persons and without any rhyme and reason, on a particular community, still it appears that the citizens of India irrespective of their religions or ethnicity have acted together in saving the victims.”

“In the present case, all Sikhs who were trapped in Gurdwara Pulbangash were rescued by people from the Muslim community,” the court said.