I bow my head in shame.....

"When a giant tree falls, the earth below shakes", commented Rajiv Gandhi on the genocide that engulfed the national capital after Indira Gandhi's 1984 tragic assasination.

Thousands are believed to have died in inter-religious riots with the administration and the local police looking on as mere spectators. Even the army was left to cool off until effective deployment on November 3.

But the damage had already been done. Even the then President who belonged to the massacared minority community did little.

And now, an apology. A statement of regret, for the events that engulfed a grief striken nation, 21 years late. But still an apology thats better late than never.


Our present Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh rose in Parliament on Aug 11, 2005 to deliver as our representative, the true sentiments of all Indians.

Find below a few extracts from that speech in parliament that holds the punch.

"Mr. Speaker, Sir, I strayed into politics by an accident but I have been a lifelong student of politics and I have always believed that politics is a purposeful instrument of social, political and economic change. Politics which departs from that path and becomes a servant of narrow, parochial, silly, things loses its wider societal role...."

"...Both the assassination of Shrimati Indira Gandhi and subsequent events leading to anti-Sikh riots and all those ghastly happenings should have never happened. They are blots on our national conscience. On this, there is no difference of opinion on any side. But the question arises: “Where do we go from here?...”

"...Mr. Speaker, Sir, what happened, I say once again, was a national shame, a national and a great human tragedy...."

I am really happy and relieved that finally the Congress party has had the wisdom to come before the people and say sorry we screwed up. And who better to deliver that apology than Dr Singh. Bravo ! Mr. Prime Minister.

As a closing note, I would like to caution that just because an apology has been tendered, it does not mean that the people guilty of inciting the mob fury should be let off.

The law should take its own course. The guilty should be punished. A memorial, in remembrance of the massacared Sikhs, should be raised which would serve as a constant reminder to our future generations.

BJP, are you listening ?