1984 Delhi Sikh Genocide - Statements

Statement submitted before the Nanavati Commission

Witness No. 146

Name : Ms Jaya Shrivastava

Age :

Occupation : Social Worker

Address : J-12/1 DLF Phase-II, New Friends Colony, New Delhi.

On SA

I had filed two affidavits before Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission of Inquiry. The photocopies thereof are shown to me. I say that they are the correct copies of my affidavits.

In addition to what I have stated in my affidavits I say that the impression that I had formed was that the attacks on Sikhs were organized. I say so because I had noticed that the houses of Sikhs were looted earlier and were attacked thereafter. In the incidents which had taken place in our locality I had seen some youths on scooters had brought kerosene and gunny bags which were being lighted and thrown into the houses of Sikhs.

They were all shouting slogans "Indira Gandhi Ki Jai" and "Inko Khatam Karo". The next day I had visited the surrounding area also and had found that the houses of Sikhs were set on fire and looted in a similar pattern. I had also noticed that some young people had come before the peace committee formed by us and told us that such serious incidents would not happen again and whatever happened was because the things had gone out of control.

Later on I had inquired about the identity of those persons from the persons of our locality e.g. vegetable vendors Milk vendors etc. who told me that those persons were members of the Congress Party.

I had also heard people spreading rumours that the water was poisoned by the Sikhs and therefore we should not take it and that Sikhs had gathered in a nearby Gurdwara and they were going to attack us (Hindus). Policemen were also telling us the same thing. Later on we found that they were false rumours. In fact the nearby Gurdwara was already burnt.

I was convener of one of the relief camps organized by the Nagrik Ekta Manch at Nanaksar Gurdwara. I had talked with number of persons who had collected in that camp. On the basis of the things narrated by them, I could notice that the mobs everywhere had carried highly inflammable article like kerosene, petrol and that the persons who had led the mobs were Kerosene Wallas or ration walls and some butchers and that they were in one way or the other connected with the Congress Party.

I was also told by some of them that the police used to come and asked us to go inside our houses and we were also forced to go inside our houses and thereafter they had allowed the mobs to attack the houses of Sikhs.

In mid November, 1984, the Government wanted to close down most of the relief camps, even though it was not possible for many of the persons in the camp to go back to their houses as they were badly burnt. The insistence on the part of the Government indicated to us that the Government wanted to cover up and minimize the extent of riots that had taken place in the city by showing that things had become normal.

I had also noticed that the statement made by Rajiv Gandhi in a public meeting that when a big tree falls the earth shakes was taken by the people as an encouragement for retaliating against Sikhs. The provocation came really from slogan "Khoon – Ka – Badla – Khoon – Se – Lenge". On the basis of the incidents which had taken place near my house and near our locality, I could notice that the policemen had acted as mere spectators and had on some occasions encouraged the mob and had not taken proper and effective steps to check the attacks on Sikhs and their properties.

Cross examination by S.S. Gandhi, Senior Advocate on behalf of Delhi Police

I had moved to my residence at New Friends Colony in February, 1980. The mobs consisted mainly of young persons, some of them were very young aged about 12 – 14 years. They used to come and loot properties without even properly understanding what they were doing. The persons who were looting belonged to the lower strata of the society but those who came on scooter were belonging to higher strata of the society and they looted and went away.

Some of the persons who had come on vehicle appear to be belonging to higher strata of the society. Most of the persons in the mob were from very nearby areas. The first incident of looting of house in my locality was seen by me on 1.11.84. The house looted was A – 51, New Friends Colony, New Delhi. When that house was attacked the police was not there but they had come after 5 – 10 minutes. I had myself witnessed two incidents of looting.

I had not noticed policemen when the two houses were attacked and looted but while the looting was going on, I had seen the police around the corner. Even after the arrival of the police, the persons in the mob were looting things from those two houses. It is true that I had not specifically stated in my earlier affidavits that policemen were present by the two houses which I had referred but the police had come and it was not exactly possible to say as to what point of time they had come – either at the time of looting or immediately thereafter.

No cross examination by Ashok Kashyap, Advocate on behalf of Central Government

Read over and found correct.

(Ms Jaya Shrivastava) (G.T. Nanavati)

17th December, 2001

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