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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.

 

 

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