After nearly four decades, the wheels of justice have finally turned—albeit at a frustratingly slow pace. The Delhi High Court’s decision to sentence Congress leader Sajjan Kumar to life imprisonment for his role in the brutal 1984 anti-Sikh riots is a long-overdue step toward accountability. While some may argue that Kumar’s advanced age has tempered justice, the fact remains: a crime of such magnitude demanded retribution, and the courts have rightly delivered. The 1984 anti-Sikh riots remain one of India’s darkest chapters. In the immediate aftermath of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her Sikh bodyguards, orchestrated mobs wreaked havoc on Sikh communities across Delhi and beyond. With nearly 3,000 innocent lives lost, the Congress-led government’s complicity in these mass killings is undeniable. The infamous words of Rajiv Gandhi—“When a big tree falls, the earth shakes”—were not just insensitive remark; they symbolized a tacit endorsement of the violence that followed. It was state-sponsored carnage, not spontaneous retaliation. Despite ample eyewitness testimony implicating Congress leaders like Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler, justice was systematically obstructed for years. Successive Congress governments showed no remorse, offering only hollow apologies while shielding the perpetrators. Only under the NDA-led government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a serious investigation was initiated through the Nanavati Commission. However, even after its damning findings, legal action remained sluggish. The Congress-led UPA, which returned to power in 2004, did little to ensure accountability. Instead, they allowed cases to languish, protecting their own under the guise of legal loopholes.
It took another shift in political power under Narendra Modi’s government to push for real justice finally. The reopening of cases, the diligent pursuit by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the relentless efforts of legal advocates like H.S. Phoolka have resulted in long-overdue convictions. Sajjan Kumar, already serving a life sentence from a 2018 conviction, has now been handed another. Jagdish Tytler, too, faces increasing legal scrutiny, with a charge sheet finally filed against him in 2023 for inciting mobs that led to the killings of three Sikhs at Pul Bangash Gurdwara. The Congress party’s moral failure in addressing this horrific episode is evident. Even Dr. Manmohan Singh, a Sikh himself, was manipulated into downplaying the riots under his tenure as Prime Minister. This raises a critical question—how could an intellectual like Singh turn a blind eye to the massacre of his own community? His silence was a betrayal, just as the Congress party’s inaction has been a stain on India’s democratic fabric. While Sajjan Kumar’s life sentence instead of the death penalty may leave some disappointed, it is crucial to recognize that justice has finally been served—albeit imperfectly. At 80 years old, Kumar’s failing health might have spared him the gallows, but it does not absolve him of his crimes. The ruling must serve as a precedent: political power cannot be a shield for communal violence. India must never again allow such systemic injustice to fester for decades. The message is clear—accountability cannot be selective. The perpetrators of 1984 have finally begun facing the consequences of their actions, and those who shielded them must also answer for their complicity. No political party, no leader, and no ideology should ever be above the law. If India is to uphold its democratic values, justice must not only be delivered but delivered swiftly. The victims of 1984 deserved better. Let this verdict be a warning: the long arm of justice, though delayed, is relentless.