Senior advocate and BJP leader HS Phoolka has strongly disputed Sonia Gandhi's narrative of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, as presented in her recently released memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love. Phoolka, who has represented victims of the violence for decades, labeled Gandhi's account an “absolute lie” that contradicts official commission findings.
Claims of Delayed Army Deployment Challenged
In her book, Sonia Gandhi claims that on the night of October 31, 1984, then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi instructed Army Chief General A.S. Vaidya to deploy troops. She suggests that General Vaidya independently decided against using nearby Army units – purportedly due to the presence of Sikh soldiers – opting instead to call in troops from farther locations like Dehradun. Gandhi implies this decision by the Army Chief caused the delay in deployment and, consequently, in controlling the violence.
Phoolka Cites Commission Findings
Phoolka vehemently rejected this assertion, citing the Justice Ranganath Misra Commission, which investigated the riots. He highlighted that the Misra Commission found approximately 6,000 Army personnel were already present in Delhi on October 31st and the morning of November 1st, 1984. “This account is entirely contrary to the facts,” Phoolka stated. “The claim that General Vaidya decided not to deploy Sikh soldiers – and that there were no other troops available near Delhi – is completely at odds with the facts.”
According to Phoolka, the Misra Commission concluded that had even 5,000 of these soldiers been deployed to patrol Delhi's streets on November 1st, at least 2,000 Sikh lives could have been saved. He further referred to the Nanavati Commission, another body that probed the violence, to underscore the responsibility of the civil administration in requisitioning the Army.
“According to the Mishra Commission report, Rajiv Gandhi did alert General Vaidya; however, it is not the Army Chief’s role to unilaterally deploy the Army - that is the responsibility of the civil administration,” Phoolka asserted.
Questioning Accountability and Rajiv Gandhi’s Role
Phoolka questioned why Rajiv Gandhi, as Prime Minister at the time, did not take action against officials who failed to call in the Army despite readily available troops. He argued that if Rajiv Gandhi himself is not held responsible for the massacres, then accountability must lie with those who prevented the Army's deployment.
The advocate also referenced Rajiv Gandhi's controversial statement, “When a big tree falls, the earth shakes,” made shortly after his mother's assassination. Phoolka views this remark as an attempt to justify the violence, contrasting it with Sonia Gandhi's current efforts to absolve her family in her memoir. “This stands in direct contradiction to the official record. It is an absolute lie,” Phoolka concluded.
Sonia Gandhi’s Memoir Account
In Belonging: A Journey of Love, Sonia Gandhi acknowledges the widespread violence following Indira Gandhi's assassination and the difficulties faced by the administration. While confirming orders were given to General Vaidya on October 31st, her memoir states that nearby Army units were not immediately mobilized due to the presence of Sikh soldiers, necessitating troops from further away. She also acknowledges that justice remains elusive for many victims and that Congress workers were among those accused of instigating or directing the violence.
The 1984 anti-Sikh riots erupted after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984. Thousands of Sikhs were killed, with Delhi experiencing the most severe violence.