The Book

The systematic pogrom targeting Sikhs in 1984, in the national capital and elsewhere in India, remains a deeply painful episode in India’s post-independence history. In October of that year, as the nation was still grappling with the repercussions of Operation Blue Star, the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi became a pretext for shocking anti-Sikh violence that lasted several days, resulting in over 3,000 deaths in Delhi alone, and the dispossession of many more.

Over four decades on, it is crucial to understand the impact of this violence and its aftermath. What caused this rupture in the secular fabric of the country? How were mobs emboldened to act violently for days, with little fear of accountability? How can civil society work towards repairing the fissures created by such an occurrence?

Remembering the Past brings together a nuanced set of essays that address these questions, and the historical, political, social, and literary aspects of the carnage of 1984. The chapters foreground the personal experiences of women survivors and witnesses; engage with oral narratives and modes of community memorialisation; and offer literary analyses of novels, short stories and films that portray the events of 1984. Significantly, the book also features contributions by academics and civil society members who organised collective action against rioting, participated in relief and rehabilitation efforts, and published fact-finding reports.

The book offers a sensitive and timely reflection on intergenerational and collective trauma, the urgent need to address state culpability and the dangers of majoritarianism. It will be of interest to scholars of sociology, human rights, memory and trauma studies, and culture studies, as well as concerned citizens.