Will Punjabis Ever Get Justice?…….by  Darbara Singh Kahlon

Every year in June, the print and electronic media publish articles and hold discussions about Operation Blue Star — the military operation carried out by the Indian Army in Punjab under the late Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi. Then, in November, attention shifts to the anti-Sikh massacres that followed her assassination on October 31, 1984, in Delhi and several other places across India.

Apart from religious, political, and social events where these issues are raised loudly, everything goes quiet afterward, leaving the wounds of Punjabis — especially Sikhs — reopened time and again.

The “White Paper” published by the Government of India on Operation Blue Star was, in the eyes of many critics, more of a “Black Paper.”

Likewise, the ten commissions and committees constituted to investigate the November 1984 violence against the Sikh community, along with reports by international human rights organizations, failed to uncover the complete truth, deliver justice, or ensure meaningful punishment for those responsible.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission

From time to time, discussions emerge within the corridors of both the Central and Punjab governments regarding the formation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to uncover the truth, hold the guilty accountable, and create a path toward peaceful coexistence and brotherhood among all Indians. Yet, despite these discussions, the truth remains elusive.

In 1997, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal of the Akali-BJP government effectively shelved the idea of such a commission when he remarked, “There’s no need to dig up buried corpses now.”

What is equally surprising is the silence of the brave, resilient, and courageous Punjabis, particularly members of the Sikh community, on this issue.

Example: Canada’s Indigenous People

Approximately 1.8 million Indigenous people live in Canada and are regarded as the original inhabitants of the land. For more than 150 years, Indigenous communities endured harsh treatment through Canada’s residential school system. These policies sought to assimilate Indigenous children, suppress their languages and cultures, and separate them from their families and communities.

Through courage, persistence, and sustained struggle, Indigenous communities compelled the Canadian government to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2008. Nearly 6,500 survivors testified before the Commission. In 2015, it released its final report containing 94 recommendations aimed at justice, healing, and reconciliation.

It is remarkable that while more than 45 million Punjabis and over 30 million Sikhs live in India, they have not been able to secure the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate Operation Blue Star and the events of November 1984, nor have they succeeded in creating a similar nationwide process to establish truth and accountability.

Approach to International Bodies

To encourage the implementation of the Commission’s recommendations and continue uncovering the truth, Indigenous leaders approached international human rights bodies.

A panel subsequently began hearings in Montreal. After a week of testimony, the panel concluded that Indigenous communities had suffered grave historical injustices. A permanent public tribunal was established to investigate missing children and unmarked graves associated with residential schools and settlements that had operated for more than a century.

Indigenous communities welcomed the initiative, hoping it would provide answers and help build a future based on truth and reconciliation.

During the hearings, witnesses described how children were denied adequate food and medical care, resulting in malnutrition and illness. Many were forced into labor. Others died from disease, overcrowding, cold, and neglect. Testimony also described sexual and physical abuse, beatings, and solitary confinement.

Tribunal Judge Francis Weber recounted emotional testimony from survivors. Witnesses described being subjected to degrading treatment and severe hardship. Evidence presented to the tribunal suggested that thousands of children either died in residential schools or disappeared under circumstances that remain unclear.

Researcher Dr. Scott Hamilton testified that not all deaths were properly documented and that many recorded deaths were linked to tuberculosis and other preventable illnesses.

Women also testified regarding forced sterilization, racial discrimination, forced disappearance, torture, sexual violence, and other forms of mistreatment.

According to many witnesses, the broader objective of these policies was to facilitate control over Indigenous lands, territories, and natural resources.

Notably, the Canadian government did not participate directly in the tribunal proceedings. However, Pascal Laptat, spokesperson for Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, acknowledged that the history of residential schools remains one of the most painful chapters in Canada’s past.

He stated that the current Canadian government views Indigenous communities as partners and continues to work toward healing, education, and reconciliation.

The tribunal concluded that Canada had failed to fully meet its obligations toward Indigenous peoples as outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and in the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Judge Wilton Littlechild argued that Canada must fulfill its legal, moral, and political responsibilities through a comprehensive and sustained policy of reconciliation.

Reality

The treatment of Indigenous peoples in Canada and the attempts to erase their culture, language, and identity continue to attract criticism despite apologies from both the Canadian government and the Vatican.

Government lawyer Krista Big Canoe stated that efforts are continuing with hope and determination. The tribunal has submitted its findings and recommendations to the relevant authorities.

Its final decision is expected to be presented on September 30, 2026, Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The International Peoples’ Tribunal, established in 1979 to investigate crimes against humanity, is hearing the matter as its 57th case, focusing on missing children and unmarked graves associated with Canada’s residential school system.

Justice for Punjabis

Until an independent tribunal examines the injustices suffered by Punjabis, particularly the Sikh community, in the decades following Partition, many believe there can be little hope of uncovering the complete truth or achieving meaningful justice.

Punjabis and Sikhs living both in India and abroad must build pressure on the governments of India and Punjab to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and pursue an impartial process similar to the one undertaken in Canada.

The BJP leadership in Punjab has often spoken of building a developed and justice-oriented society inspired by the ideals of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh ruled a sovereign, powerful, and independent Punjab. Although Sikhs constituted a minority of the population, his administration provided representation to Hindus, Muslims, and others, creating a governance model that many historians describe as inclusive and welfare-oriented.

That is why poet Shah Muhammad wrote:

“Rajee bahut rehinde musalmaan hindu”
“Muslims and Hindus lived very contentedly.”

Supporters of this view ask whether the BJP-led government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will adopt elements of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s model of governance.

Will it support the creation of a permanent tribunal and a Truth and Reconciliation Commission so that Punjabis, especially Sikhs, can learn the truth and seek justice regarding Operation Blue Star and the events of November 1984?

Will the Indian state and government one day seek forgiveness through Parliament for Operation Blue Star and the anti-Sikh violence of 1984?

These questions continue to resonate among many Punjabis and Sikhs who believe that reconciliation can only begin when truth is fully acknowledged and justice is meaningfully pursued.

June 20, 2026