Nearly a quarter century after the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre in India, students gathered for a candlelight vigil to promote remembrance as well as tolerance for Sikh and other cultures around the world.
The vigil, which brought about 40 people to Marsh Chapel Saturday, included a video and presentation by speaker Sarbpreet Singh, a Boston-based communications executive who also acts as a public speaker against discrimination.
‘The main point I want to make is that creating awareness tends to prevent these kinds of things from being repeated,’ he said.
The anti-Sikh massacre happened on Oct. 31, 1984, after two Sikh bodyguards assassinated former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The following day, the Congress Party, an Indian political bloc, led retaliatory attacks against the Sikhs. The mobs carried weapons, including knives, clubs and kerosene, and killed every Sikh man they found. Although a definitive count of the dead was never recorded, it is estimated that hundreds of citizens died.
Sikhism is a religion that began in India 500 years ago and has a following of more than 20 million people today. Singh emphasized the need to stop oppression against all human beings.
‘It is a Sikh’s creed to worry about the oppressed everywhere,’ he said. ‘There is a lot you can do. Mobilize the people around you.’
As he told his story of moving to the United States at 21 years old and discovering himself as a Sikh, he encouraged tolerance and remembering those who were killed in 1984 because, ‘remembering them is honoring them, and if we do not then we are being disrespectful.’
Singh also touched upon Sept. 11 and its effect on the Sikh community. People confused Sikhs for Arabs because of their turbans and uncut hair, resulting in several instances of violence against them. This, he said, motivated him to spread awareness.
‘There were huge grassroots efforts made to condemn violence against Sikhs and Arabs,’ he said. ‘This is an opportunity for us to educate people about who we are and what our beliefs were.’
Anger about past events is natural, but ‘we should channel that anger into doing something about it,’ he said.
Students who attended said they agreed with Singh’s message of tolerance and increased awareness.
‘I come here to understand things that affect other faiths,’ School of Management senior Haziq Haque said. ‘It’s my motivation, and I always learn something new.’
School of Medicine student Monica Jain said listening to Singh’s speech was her favorite part of the vigil.
‘It was moving,’ she said. ‘[Singh] had a lot of good things to say that related to us. I’m not a Sikh, but I don’t think it’s controversial because it’s about educating. He didn’t say anything negative.’
The Sikh Association at BU hopes to keep the memory of 1984 alive and to overcome racial barriers, Vice President Aanchal Sharma said.
‘If we educate people and spread awareness, they won’t repeat the same mistakes,’ Sharma, a College of Arts and Sciences junior, said.
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It is my humble suggestion that you should let your esteemed readers know that Sikh bodyguards assassinated Indra Gandhi because She raided the Holiest Shrine of Sikhs where people of all faiths can come and pray as Sikhism believes in universality & equality of all human beings and preys for the well being of whole universe in their daily prayers.