1984 : A Love Story by Gurkaran Singh

Episode 7



The end

Divya’s father reached Rajwinder’s house before Divya could reach there. He went there with a mob of ten people and they started banging their fists on the door. Rajwinder was quiet tensed now but he decided to give a fight as a normal Sikh would do. Suddenly from the back side of his house he heard a familiar voice. It was Divya. What the hell was she doing here he thought in his mind. Suddenly he realized that the mob has broken his house door and the mob is looking wildly at him looking for his blood. The mob is led by Divya’s father and he says to the mob, “In logon ne humari ma ko mara hain aaj koi bhi zinda nahin bachna chaiye jaldi khatam kar do ise”

Suddenly he realized that Divya had also reached his house and was standing right in front of Rajwinder. And to his shock someone from the mob had already thrown the match stick in his house and he in front of his own eyes saw his daughter burnt alive along with Rajwinder. It seemed a miracle that both of them would be together; no one ever imagined that it was in this way that they will be together. Both of them were burnt alive and now only their ashes remained saying Divya’s father that he was successful in his mission but at a huge cost. The fire which was meant to unite them in their marriage had now united them together for their last journey. Love had once again lost to the dirty and rotten Indian politics. Suddenly it started to rain. Maybe the gods there up in the heaven could not witness such a scene.

The cremation

Divya’s father was now a tensed man. He had intended only to kill Rajwinder but he had killed his own daughter with his own hands. He regretted it for a moment but he still was focused on getting the ticket from the national party. He cursed his now dead daughter for spoiling his ambitions of getting the ticket. His secretary understood the dilemma of his master and said to his master “isi soch main pade ho na ki divya beti ki maut ko logon ko kaise duniya ko samjhoge”. Divya’s father nodded

Then the secretary told his master plan and it went like this”sir ji ab divya beti to rahi nahin to kyun na unki maut ko aap political gain ke liye use karo humari desh ki janta bahut hi sentimental hoti hain. yeh to movies me hero ki maut par bhi ro padte hain yahan to aapki beti mari hain. keh dena logon se ki kisi sardar ne aapse khundak nikalne ke liye mar diya aapki beti ko aur aapki ticket aur election main jeet pakki hai”. So accordingly they took the body of Divya to their house and claimed that her sikh boyfriend had killed his daughter and started shedding crocodile tears. Divya’s brother understood the reality but was too shocked to see the body of his beloved sister that, he was in no condition to speak up.

Meanwhile Avi stayed in the house of Sushant for three days and was somehow able to save his life. It is a noted fact that most of the hindus saved the lives of many innocent Sikhs. Then a question arises that who were the ones who killed Sikhs. The answer is simple that common people are not involved; the people belonging to political parties and their supporters are the ones who actually are involved in the riots. This has been a trend whether they are the 1984 riots or the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Avi and Sushant tried their best to contact Rajwinder but were unable to do. Finally Sushant decided to go to Rajwinder’s house to see out if Rajwinder was fine. He with heavy steps went towards his house and to his shock found Rajwinder’s burnt body lying there. Sushant unable to control his emotions breaks down in the room. But somehow controlling his emotions decided to cremate the body in the room itself as the body was already in a very bad condition. So he broke some pieces of furniture from Rajwinder’s house and put his body in between those pieces and set it on fire. In this way the cremation of Rajwinder was done by sushant himself.

Sushant reached home. Avi was anxiously waiting for him to return. “Rajwinder theek hain na, mila vo tujhe bata na, yr jaldi tu kuch bolta kyun nahin” hearing these questions of Avi, Sushant started crying loudly and told Avi what had happened to Rajwinder and how he himself cremated the body of their best friend. Hearing this, Avi also burst out into tears. But somehow they controlled their emotions and decided that it was important to inform Rajwinder’s parents and decided that both of them will go to Amritsar to inform them.

Kudrat ke sab bande


The news had reached Punjab about the killings of Sikhs all over the India. Various types of rumors were spread all over Punjab. Rajwinder’s parents were also quite tensed. There was no news about Rajwinder. He was to arrive on seventh of November. But the train was delayed by a day. The next day both of his parents waited on the station waiting to see their son.

The train finally arrived but Rajwinder did not. Avi and Sushant saw Rajwinder’s parents standing on the platform. Rajwinder’s father asked both of them about Rajwinder but they were unable to speak anything and started crying with Sushant saying” uncle ji mujhe maaf kar do ki main aapke bete ko nahin bacha paya” then he told the whole story to them that how he saw the body of Rajwinder fully burnt and how he himself cremated Rajwinder as any further delay would have further spoilt his body.

Both of them broke down on the station after hearing the news of their son’s death. A crowd gathered around them to find out what had happened. The mother was in no position to speak and Avi told the whole matter to the crowd which had gathered there. Someone in the crowd said, ”yeh sab hindu bandon ka kiya dhara hain. yeh samajhte hain ki bechare sardar sirf do crore hain to hum inke sath kuch bhi kar sakte hain aaj hum inko inki aukad dikhange”. Avi then went straight towards that man and said to him “pata hain ki shayad aaj main bhi zinda na hota agar mujhe is hindu dost ne na bachaya hota yeh sab politicians ki chaal hain hum logon main daraar dalne ki aur agar hum jaise log bhadak gaye to unki yeh chaal kamyaab ho jayegi; ab aap log kirpa karke yahan se chale jaye please” then Avi said a hymn from gurbani which went like this
“Awal allah noor upaya”
“kudrat ke sab bande


After 20 years

Divya’s father became the lok sabha member; he got a ticket from the National party. Divya’s brother left his father’s house along with his mother and they now lived separately with no contact with him for the past 20 years. The CBI has given a clean chit to Divya’s father who is now a free man and is looking to get a cabinet berth. Rajwinder’s mother could not bear the loss of his son in such a barbaric act and died soon after hearing the news. Rajwinder’s father became a granthi in the local gurudwara in Punjab and he spends most of his time reading Holy Scriptures.

Suddenly news flashes on the TV screen of Divya’s brother. The reporter was telling that a bomb had exploded outside the National party Head office in New Delhi. Six people including the MP from West Delhi have been killed in this incident. The government has announced 1 lakh compensation for the dead and a national mourning in respect of the dead Member of Parliament. Suddenly her brother sees an old Sikh standing in front of him. He was too shocked after seeing the news that he did not realize that an old man had been standing in front of him for the past twenty minutes. “Uncle do I know you and why are you standing please sit.” The old man replied that he was his father’s friend and his father had told him that whenever he died inform his family about it and ask his son to give fire to his dead body. “uncle phir to aap yeh bhi jante hoge ki maine unse rishta bees saal pehle hi tod diya tha; unhone apne faide ke liye meri behn ki zindagi ko hi khatam kar diya main unki chita ko kabhi bhi aag nahin dunga” the old man smiled as he had expected the same answer from the man. He in a very polite tone replied that “puttar ji yeh har bete ka farz hota hai ki vo apne baap ki chita ko aag de galtiyan insano se hi hoti hain par har us insaan chahe vo jaisa bhi ho use vidhai apne bete se hi milni chaiye”. The old man was successful in convincing the son and he left to make the arrangements for the last rites of his father. He lit the pyre of his father but his eyes were looking for the man who had convinced him but he was nowhere to be seen. He looked for him in every corner as he must have been present if he was his father’s friend. But the reality was different. That old Sikh man was no one but
RAJWINDER’S Father.

Letter to PM NARENDRA MODI


Although this has nothing to do with the story but still it would have not been fair to end the story there. What happened to all those families who lost their dear ones during riots? In a government figure it is estimated that around 3000 Sikhs were killed in Delhi alone and all over India the figure is around ten thousand. To find the reality I decided to visit Tilak Vihar also known as the widow colony. It is a small colony located in the West Delhi where most of the riots victims of 1984 have been allotted flats by the government. It is known as the widow colony because most of the women had already lost their husbands during those bloody riots. I thought that 30 years have passed and things should have come on track in such a long time. But I was shocked to see the plight of the people living there so I decided to write an open letter to the PM
To
The Prime Minister
7 Race Course Road, New Delhi
Sub- The plight of people living in Tilak Vihar and the demand for a setting a special investigation team to investigate the 1984 riots
Respected Sir,
First of all congratulations on becoming the new Prime Minister of India, winning a much deserved election. The amount of travelling and the amount of public speeches you gave were a world record and more than that you have won hearts both of the old and the youth.
You made a lot of promises during your public meetings and one of them were a setting up of a special investigation team to investigate the 1984 anti-sikh riots. Sir around thirty years have passed but still no justice has been given to the riot victims. Sir, just imagine the plight of a woman who would have seen her husband or son burnt in front of her; what would be her mental state. The only possible consolation for her would have been ideal punishment for the guilty. And they say that there are not enough evidences to trial those involved. Actually sir the problem lies here. The investigations done by the delhi police were biased and they just looked to save the skin of the big leaders. You set up an SIT (Special Investigation Team) for the 2002 riots and now the onus lies on you to do the same for the 1984 riots. You have a full majority in the lok sabha and there would not be any problem in passing the proposed bill or act in the parliament. The question here lies of the will whether you want to set up an SIT for the riot cases.
The second part here sir is even more disturbing and serious. Same is about the bad condition of the people specially the youth living in the Tilak Vihar locality. Most of the youth living here have become drug addicts and this is increasing at an alarming rate. Youths are the valuable asset of this country and as you once said in one of your public meetings and you don’t want this asset to be damaged by drug. Would you sir? With great hope I am writing this letter and hope you won’t disappoint h me and many others.

Yours sincerely
An innocent Sikh



THE END

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