What can I say about the events of 1984 that I haven’t said already? I’m tired; tired of explaining how it was the pivotal moment in a duel that had been over a hundred years in the making; tired of repeating how it is a struggle that continues to this day, of which we are in the midst even here in the West; tired of presenting the everyday solutions to remedying the situation. And yet I continue to do so.
My entire life has been defined by the events of 1984. Every iota of every experience, failure and achievement has been shadowed by the knowledge that I am part of a wheel that is in motion and that will continue to turn, for me at least until my last breath. My childhood innocence was taken when I saw through the looking glass and peered agasp at the World my grandfather left behind when he migrated to the UK. My journey on a bastardised English-Punjabi upbringing was halted abruptly 30 years ago when the tanks rolled across the parikarma. My lasting memories of our first remote-controlled television are of accessing teletext World news pages to read about the weekly extra-judicial killings of ‘militants’. My choice of subjects to study in further and higher education were dictated by the cause to which I feel I have dedicated my life. I might grow tired and I may face disappointment, but I recognised years ago that this is a war, ongoing and fought along many lines. There is no khanda in my hand, but the ink of my pen and the keys on my laptop are wielded with no less voracity.
I wrote extensively about the invasion of Darbar Sahib at this time last year which you can read back at https://naujawani.com/blog/woodrose. I followed this up in November with a more practical articulation of what Sikh activists could and should be doing with their lives in the day-to-day, to prepare for a better tomorrow (https://naujawani.com/blog/make-yourself-aware-of-the-struggle). Following the ‘revelations’ at the start of this year that the British establishment had been involved at some level in the invasion of the Darbar Sahib I published an article questioning the reactionary mindset with which the Panth is now operating (https://naujawani.com/blog/react-dont-do-it). And then just a month ago, I wrote about the reasons why it doesn’t matter whether this is the 30th anniversary of the events of 1984 or any other day of the year (https://naujawani.com/blog/30-days-until-30-years).
There are many people who have never found answers to questions they have, even more who have never been reached with knowledge of the bigger picture. I would hope that those of you looking for information on this anniversary might read those articles and where you find good guidance would share it with others.
