Rs
715 crore package passed for the 1984 riot victims
Sikhs welcome aid package for 1984 riot victims,
praise PM
December 29, 2005
PTI
Some of the prominent members of the Sikh community
Thursday praised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after
the Union Cabinet passed a Rs 715 crore package for
the 1984 riot victims.
The new package also covers relief and rehabilitation
for the survivors of the anti-Sikh carnage that broke
out in parts of the country after the assassination
of then prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1984.
"The announcement of the package speaks volumes
about the prime minister's sincerity. The government
should provide jobs to at least one member of the
each victim family," National Commission for
Minorities chief Tarlochan Singh said.
Sikh leaders and scholars in Delhi, the scene of
the 1984 bloodshed, also appreciated the prime minister
for carrying out the promise he made to the country
in Parliament.
"The quick action in terms of this package is
another evidence of Dr Singh's sincerity. It has also
raised hopes for justice and deterrent punishment
to the perpetrators of the mass killings," senior
Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee leader Manjit
Singh said.
Renowned scholar Jaspal Singh, a former ambassador,
said the announcement showed Dr Singh was committed
to healing the 21-year-old wound.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader S S Ahluwalia, who
also described the package as a welcome move, however,
demanded the government ensure "exemplary"
punishment to the authors of the carnage.
"There should be no leniency toward the perpetrators,
howsoever influential or powerful they may be,"
he told.