The exhibition at Nanak Piyau Gurudwara in Ashok Vihar, situated right on the Grand Trunk Road was seen by thousands of people including relative of victims of the carnage. Old, young and children came visiting the exhibition, which displayed graphic imagery – photographs, paintings and documentation of the carnage.
It cannot be forgotten
Many were moved to tears, as what they had witnessed 28 years ago, was in front of their eyes again, reminding them of their loved one. Many of them narrated what they had seen and witnessed during those three tragic days, when their near and dear once were massacred in broad daylight in the national capital. Many of them were barely in their teens when this happened. One lady manning the reception table, where the campaign material was being displayed and distributed narrated that she had just joined her first year graduation, when she lost her entire family in the carnage. She had come visiting the Gurudwara as routine and volunteered to help the organisers. Before leaving the venue, she said people have been fighting for justice for past 28 years, and continue to do so, until the guilty are punished. Another lady had lost her brother-in-law, on the very first day. Her sister was married just a few months ago, and was widowed in the carnage.
Punish those who gave orders, masterminded and organised the massacre
Spontaneous and animated discussion erupted on command responsibility, as soon as the question of who was responsible, and who should be punished, was raised. The unanimous response was that the officers in-charge and the political leadership must be first held responsible for failing in their duty to protect the people, and further not punishing the guilty. The question is not who finally killed, but who gave the order and further protection to the killers and rapists. The tragic incidences of 1992 Babri Masjid demolition and ensuing massacre, and bomb blasts; the genocide of 2002 and the recent carnage in Assam, and terrorizing of people of north-east in various cities across the country, as also attacks on people from other states in Mumbai, was seen in perspective and people saw a common thread running through all this, and realised the organised nature of these acts.
LRS President S. Raghavan Addressing the gathering
The killers have no religion
Everybody strongly protested against the false propaganda that Hindus were responsible for the massacre. Declaring it a big lie, they said many of them are alive today because their neighbors belonging to other communities, saved them and their families, hiding them in the houses, even at the cost of risking lives of their own family members and property. In fact many such people lost their families’ members and their houses were also burnt down. This was graphically shown in the exhibition, where many destroyed and burnt Hindu households we depicted. This false propaganda must be countered, as it is poisoning the minds of the young. It is strategy of those guilty to divide us in our struggle. We must stand rock solid, as truth is on our side, and take the struggle forward to it logical conclusion.
Number of people appreciated the determination of the organisers who have not given up the struggle for justice and are fighting for an effective law to stop such horrific events from happening again. All through the exhibition the volunteers engaged people in discussion inviting them for the March to Parliament on 3rd November and Seminar on “Effective Law to End Communal and Sectarian Violence” on 4th November 2012.
Updates on Campaign
The petition has been put on web and is getting endorsement from people from various communities and nations across the globe. Simultaneously thousands of people are signing the petition in streets, market places, bastis, gurudwaras and colonies. Volunteers travelling across country are collecting signature from fellow passengers in the train.
The petition has been released in Urdu and Tamil.
Poster campaign was undertaken in Jawaharlal Nehru University, where hundreds of posters were put in hostels, canteens, various departments and bus stops.
