Newspaper Collage

Vishavjit Singh

As a young boy I lived through the 1984 carnage with my family escaping a mob’s fury. From day 1, Indian media use the word ‘Riot’ to frame this tragedy and to this day most media outlets, academics and even Sikhs use this word. Today as an artist, writer, activist and storyteller I analyze the power of the media in influencing our perceptions. My current home town newspaper, NY Times covering the 1984 carnage with 6 days of homepage coverage which I got to see recently while preparing for this exhibit. The Artificial Intelligence generated homepages reflect the news coverage by Indian newspapers and other news sources since 1984. 1984 is not just in the past. Its narrative is still being reconstructed and managed. The Sikh community lacking established mainstream news outlets has struggled to lend its authentic voice to this narrative. The last imaginary homepage imagines how a Sikh mainstream newspaper might commemorate this 40th anniversary.

Killer Sparks

Jaspreet K Singh & Vishavjit Singh

Matchsticks provided the spark for kerosene, petrol, and tires to burn and char alive Sikhs across India in November 1984. The faces on these matchboxes highlight the key planners, conspirators and executors at the highest levels of the Indian government, along with the vast police security apparatus that enabled the massacre of Sikhs. The overwhelming majority of these genocidal perpetrators were never tried or even called out for their crimes, and many went on to continue to have successful careers in politics and business while the State protected them from prosecution.

Weapons of the Mob

Jaspreet K Singh & Vishavjit Singh

These were the weapons (tires, iron rods, long bamboo sticks, knives, matches, kerosene & petrol) supplied by politicians to the mobs in Delhi and other cities in India from October 31 through the early days of November 1984 to burn, maim, rape, and kill thousands of innocent Sikhs. Jaspreet (a human rights lawyer and artist) and Vishavjit (a social narrative innovator, artist, and survivor of the 1984 genocide) were inspired to present this sculpture because of the deep impact they had on so many lives and the psyche of the Sikh community at large. The weapons being handed out, in addition to voter lists and school rolls to identify where Sikhs lived and worked, were also part of the clear evidence that the violence was orchestrated, state-sponsored terrorism, rather than “riots” as the violence was referred to for years.

1984: Images Revisited

Sajid Raza Khan

Sajid Raza Khan is a photographer and fitness enthusiast based in New Delhi, India. In 1984 he worked as a Civil Engineer with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and was an amateur photographer. As the violence broke out, risking his life he picked up his camera and wandered about the city’s streets shooting grim scenes of carnage. After he retired from his DDA job in January 2015, Khan decided to revisit the sites of arson and killings and take pictures again.

“Those places have changed beyond measure today. They were even unrecognizable to the point that I couldn’t even spot some of them. I wanted to show that difference through my photos,” Sajid Raza Khan said.

“Doing this project over the two months that it took was extremely depressing for me as I had to relive the horror I witnessed all those years ago,” he added. His 1984 photos have been featured in Huffpost, BBC and Buzzfeed.

The Continuing Injustice of the 1984 Sikh Massacre

Sanam Sutirath Wazir

Sanam Sutirath Wazir is a committed advocate for human rights from Jammu and Kashmir, India. He is deeply engaged in documenting historical injustices and large-scale violence through oral history. He has spent more than a decade researching violence of Operation Blue Star in June 1984 and the anti-Sikh pogrom later that year.

His works, including An Era of Injustice for the 1984 Sikh Massacre, The 1984 Sikh Massacre as Witnessed by a 15-year-old and The Continuing Injustice of the 1984 Sikh Massacre are published by Amnesty International, etc. The Kaurs of 1984: The Untold, Unheard Stories of Sikh Women was published this year by HarperCollins India.

The photos in this exhibit are from ‘The Continuing Injustice of the 1984 Sikh Massacre’ Amnesty International report presenting a glimpse into the lives of survivors with the pain and injustice that followed the 1984 massacre. The photos were taken by Shome Basu.

Zubani Kahani

Ravjot Mehek Singh

Zubani Kahani means “the spoken story” in Punjabi. This piece centers my mother when she was 16 years old, living in Delhi during the 1984 Sikh genocide in which countless Sikhs including women and children were tortured and killed by Nationalist mobs. My mother’s memory of that haunting time in her life is impacted by trauma, which only comes forward when triggered. Inspired by her memory and the fact that written history of this relatively recent genocide is unavailable in textbooks or even online due to censoring and oppression from the Hindu Nationalist Government, I chose to piece together my mother’s story through a series of objective interviews of her family members that survived alongside her and play the role of a detective in this great mystery. In an era where oppression, silencing, propaganda, and targeting of Sikhs runs rampant, it is up to us to share our Zubani Kahani.

Udasi

Ravjot Mehek Singh

Udasi means both journey and sadness in Punjabi. To represent my family’s Udasi, this piece features my father’s pagh (turban) with stories of xenophobic encounters I have experienced in post 9/11 America. Attached to the turban is my mother’s “chunni” (decorative headscarf). In this chunni, there are photos depicting my parents’ move to America, creating a collage using the embroidered, traditional fabric. The turban and chunni merge to create a genderless entity, tall and proud like the Punjabi people. The mixture of traditional Sikh femininity and masculinity in this piece proudly displays the religion’s roots in equality of all genders and how Waheguru (God) is a genderless being above the human constructs of gender. The rope represents the incredible struggle of the Sikh people, reminiscent of how Sikh families were slaughtered and hung in the 1984 Sikh genocide, which my mother and her family barely survived. Within these fabrics, archival photographs, and written memories lies our Udasi.

Crimson; Poem: Chronicles of Courage: Woven Sacrifices; Poem: Unyielding Unity: The Sikh Pursuit of Justice

Inni Kaur

“Crimson” captures the haunting imagery of the days in June 1984 when the sky above Sri Harimandar Sahib Complex in Amritsar and the waters below turned fiery red and orange from the devastation and loss. Spirits, depicted in white, rise solemnly towards the skies, representing the souls of those who perished. The vibrant, chaotic hues of red symbolize both violence and profound loss, while the contrasting white figures evoke a sense of transcendence and remembrance.

Chronicles of Courage: Woven Sacrifices A poignant reflection on the 1984 Sikh Genocide, weaving together the sacrifices and stories of those who stood firm amidst brutality. This poem evokes the echoes of past Ghallugharas, paying tribute to the resilience and courage of the Khalsa through generations.

Unyielding Unity: The Sikh Pursuit of Justice This poem powerfully declares the Sikh spirit, speaking to the unbreakable unity and unwavering pursuit of justice. It honors the resilience of a community that rises above oppression and seeks justice on its own terms.

Imaginary 1984 Tailor

Meeta Kaur

As a child who visited India during school summer breaks, I remember the hours l’d spend at the tailor shops lost in the reams of fabric, borders, and fancy buttons. It was a space I occupied as an observer.

Good tailors take their craft seriously, so these fragmented feelings of terror, loss, displacement and grief that I experienced as I learned more about 1984 became the fabrics the imaginary 1984 tailor worked with in the poem.

Milk, Blood, Salt Water

Navjeet Kaur

Photo of performance work on chiffon and silk with embroidered silk threads, 26 x 36 inches each, 2024

As an artist, I have always been drawn to the stories of motherhood and the metaphorical ways it appears in various narratives. As a Sikh woman who became a mother this year, I’ve experienced a shift in my work toward exploring the empowering roles of motherhood in the context of 1984 and Sikh history at large. To me, these stories embody the vision of Sikh resistance and freedom that mothers have envisioned for their communities throughout time as well as the men whose lives were profoundly impacted during the anti-Sikh Genocide in November 1984.

In 2022, I expressed this focus through a ceremonial performance of cutting into a pomegranate which holds a significant memory of love for me. I then printed on chiffon and silk—fabrics commonly used in the ancestral clothing of the women in my family. This choice of materials deepens the connection between my artistic exploration and the rich legacy of Sikh motherhood.

Seeds of 1984

Dr. Simarjeet Kaur

My grandfather, Sardar Maluk Singh Sandhu, or Bhaya Ji, helped me understand the history of the 1984 Sikh genocide. I was just 4 years old when he arrived in the United States. He would sit with me and tell me the atrocities commited by the Indian government. He inspired me to be the activist and author I am today. It was his inspiration that guided to the creation of the Adventures of Simran & Sehaj. Bhaya Ji is one of the characters in all my books. In one picture, you see Bhaya Ji reading about 1984 to his grandchildren, Simran & Sehaj. This picture comes from a recent book I published, Five Days in June 1984. You also see hands tightly gripping jail cells portraying the oppression of the Sikh people in 1984 and even today, 40 years later. In addition to my book series, I am a columnist for the local paper in Frederick, Maryland, The Frederick News-Post. My greatest weapon is my pen, and with the stroke of a pen I hope to set my people free.

Uniformed Mobsters; Meeting in Progress; When a Big Tree Falls; Turbans

Vishavjit Singh

Uniformed Mobsters
I first saw a policeman on the morning of November 1, 1984 in New Delhi from our bedroom window pointing his rifle in the distance. I remember this scene giving me a sense of safety. Hours later this same policeman with his fellow officers was guiding mobs to attack Sikhs and ransack Sikh property. The police force became part of the mobs attacking Sikhs and their belongings across India. None were even brought to justice.

Meeting in Progress
This digital illustration captures what is now well accepted and reported knowledge in India about the direct involvement of the ruling Congress Party leaders in 1984 in planning and executing the killing of thousands of Sikhs across India.

When a Big Tree Falls
This digital illustration captures the most damning statement and evidence of the Indian state’s complicity in the 1984 carnage that consumed the lives of Sikhs across India.

Turbans
Dastaar, as a turban is often referred to in Punjabi, is an article of faith in the Sikh tradition. The turban was historically worn by royalty in South Asia, and the Sikh Gurus adopted this practice to manifest the sovereignty and equality of all people. For a Sikh, wearing a turban reflects a commitment to the values of service, compassion, and honesty. Dastaars have been marked throughout history to target and kill Sikhs including in 1984.

Written By

Navpreet Singh

I’ve always heard 1984 talked about somberly, a stark difference from how other moments in Sikh history are discussed. There’s usually a sense of admiration when discussing our shaheeds (martyrs) and their actions to defend our faith. But the atmosphere changes when ’84 is brought up. The air becomes filled with a sense of loss and sorrow. But the fact that the Sikh community survived and thrives despite the efforts to eliminate us should invite joy and hope. This piece navigates these feelings and focuses on shifting the feelings around how we remember 1984, embracing the idea that we are the authors of this story.

Untitled Audio Installation

Dalveer Hargobind Kaur

Don’t call me resilient. An audio installation in four rotary analogue phones for survivor stories from the 1984 Genocide, followed by a reflection mirror in the present.

As an activist and storyteller, I started my career working in Punjab in 2003 collecting survivor stories of the Sikhs “disappeared” after Operation Blue Star for the Human Rights Commission alongside Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. As I weaved through the villages in the district of Amritsar, I walked into the homes where either hope was still alive or hope had died a long time ago, but resilience was always strong. For the moments that I was with them, I was their daughter, they cried on my shoulder and they sang songs of resilience. They always said they felt forgotten, but two decades later I still keep a big portion of my Hirda ‘soul’ dedicated to the graceful teachings of survival they taught me as a Human Rights activist.

The audio files with survivors stories are in Punjabi. Visitors to the exhibit are encouraged to send a message to one or more of the survivors. You can click on this link to send us an email with your message.

Nirbhau & Nirvair

Vishavjit Singh

Nirbhau (Fearless) is one of the attributes in the first verse of the spiritual guide of Sikhs, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee describing the creator energy permeating the entire universe known to Sikhs as Waheguru. As an act of affirmation, write your name inside the big letters and feel free to take a photo channeling your fearless self.

Nirvair (Without Enmity) is one of the attributes in the first verse of the spiritual guide of Sikhs, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee describing the creator energy permeating the entire universe known to Sikhs as Waheguru. As an act of affirmation, write your name inside the big letters and feel free to take a photo channeling your compassionate self.

Through Darkness, We Rise

Harbani Kaur Ahuja

As an attorney and activist, I advocate for Guru Nanak’s social vision of equality and use the law as a tool in the pursuit of Justice. My poem, about the 1984 genocide against Sikhs, seeks to honor the memory of those who suffered and resisted. Through vivid imagery-from the attack on Darbar Sahib to the disappearances of Sikhs-the poem reflects the deep pain, resilience, and unyielding spirit of our community. It concludes with a tribute to human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, whose courageous words exposed the brutality of the genocide, urging us to remember, reflect, and fight for justice.

American Sikh

Vishavjit Singh & Ryan Westra

American Sikh is an award winning and Oscar qualifying short animation film that captures the story of Vishavjit Singh from Washington DC to India and back to the US, as he lives through an identity struggle toggling between assimilation and belonging. Vishavjit has carved a journey of being a cartoonist, writer, performance artist, storyteller, DEI advocate and now a filmmaker.

The Widow Colony

Harpreet Kaur

My film work is fueled by purpose, passion, and a commitment to illuminate pressing issues while amplifying the voices of resilient survivors. The Widow Colony – India’s Unsettled Settlement, serves as a call to honor the memories of the victims of the 1984 state-sponsored Sikh massacre. By focusing on the unwavering strength of the widows, I aim to shed light on this painful past and foster awareness and empathy for those still in pursuit of truth and justice. This film stands as a testament to a dark chapter in history that shall never be forgotten. Through the art of powerful storytelling, I hope to ensure that the voices of these survivors resonate, even 40 years later.