Sajan Kumar is an important leader of the Congress party who is regarded as a Gandhi loyalist. He has been a party member for over 40 years and has represented Delhi in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament.
Sajjan Kumar due to his proximity to the top echelons of the Congress party namely Sonia and Rajiv Gandhi (now deceased) was able to evade the long arm of the law for 34 years. He was accused of orchestrating the killings of hundreds of Sikhs in 1984 after the Sikh bodyguards of Indira Gandhi assassinated the Indian prime minister. The Times of India has reported that the court has observed that "political patronage" is the cause of Sajjan Kumar remaining scot-free for so long.
Sajjan Kumar
Sajjan Kumar led a charmed life, and even the lower court failed to convict him. This was because of the political patronage he enjoyed in the Congress party. The acquittal was appealed in the High Court, and a two bench has set aside the verdict of the lower court and sentenced the Congress leader and former member of Parliament to life in prison till his natural death. Sajjan Kumar has said he will appeal to the Supreme Court which some time back set aside triple talaq. As per Sikh leaders, the Supreme Court is unlikely to give relief to Sajjan Kumar.
The shame
With 2019 election around the corner, the Congress party is in a dilemma. It had not bargained for the conviction of a senior member of the party in the killings of the Sikhs.
Independent India which recently opted for the S-400 missile system carried out one of the worst massacres ever in World history when over 3500 Sikhs were murdered or burnt alive, and numerous Sikh women dishonored while their husbands were burnt. One wonders how India will live down this shame. The sad part is that the Congress party organized this massacre and party leaders exhorted the cadre and lumpen elements to kill Sikhs.
Sajjan Kumar reportedly exhorted the crowds to kill Sikhs as the bodyguards had killed the " mother." The BBC has reported that the high court judgment is a milestone conviction over the 1984 Sikh killings.
Sikh killings
The Sikh killings are a sore point with the Sikhs worldwide. More so as after 34 years only a handful of men have been convicted for killing thousands of Sikhs.
Partly this was because of the political cover by the then ruling party, the Congress. It's sad that a party that spearheaded the freedom movement with an apostle of peace and love like Gandhi stooped to this level in organizing mass killings.
The Delhi High Court has struck a telling blow, and some of the Sikhs may feel happy but many feel that 34 years is too long a time to wait for a verdict and tens of other leaders of the Congress party are roaming free. Sajjan Kumar's appeal will be heard by the Supreme Court which some time back upheld the death sentence of Nirbhya rapists and killers.
