When India’s Sikh premier escaped lynching in 1984 anti-Sikh pogrom

Amidst the anti-Sikh riots following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984, Manmohan Singh narrowly escaped a violent mob attack in New Delhi

By Iftikhar Gilani

Dr. Manmohan Singh, India’s first Sikh Prime Minister, passed away on December 25 at the age of 92. While his tenure as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014 is widely known for landmark economic reforms and foreign policy milestones, few are aware of the personal trials he endured, especially during the turbulent period of 1984.

Amidst the anti-Sikh riots, which Sikh community remember as a genocide following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Singh, who was also a Sikh narrowly escaped a violent mob attack in New Delhi—a poignant episode that underscores his life of resilience and quiet strength.

Despite holding the esteemed position of Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Singh, like many in the Sikh community, faced hostility and uncertainty.

Operation Blue Star, the military action at the Sikh holy shrine of Golden Temple in Amritsar, had deeply scarred the Sikh psyche.

According to Singh’s daughter Daman Singh, among those affected was a close relative of her mother Gursharan Kaur, who was accused of firing at military personnel during the siege.

Without substantial evidence or due process, she was detained and imprisoned in Jodhpur jail, where she languished for four to five years under harrowing conditions.

Her young child, barely a year old, was left without maternal care, and her release came only after years of relentless appeals. By then, she had suffered irreversible damage, including the loss of vision in one eye.

The assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards triggered widespread anti-Sikh violence in November 1984.

Cities like Delhi and Kanpur witnessed gruesome riots where thousands of Sikhs were lynched and killed. Their properties were destroyed. Singh’s family, too, was not spared.

A relative in Dehradun lost their petrol pump to arson, while another in Kanpur saw their home and shop reduced to ashes. Despite these tragedies, Singh continued his duties with stoic determination.

Escapes lynching

Daman Singh writes her in book “Strictly Personal: Gursharan and Manmohan”, two days after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, Singh traveled from Mumbai to Delhi to pay his respects at departed soul.

Afterward, he returned to his Delhi residence and invited his daughter, Upinder Singh, and son-in-law, Vijay Tankha, to stay with him.

That evening, however, a mob surrounded his house, threatening to burn it down and lynch Manmohan Singh.

In a desperate attempt to protect the family, Tankha fabricated a story, claiming the house had been sold to him, and he is a Hindu.

Astonishingly, a neighbor, who was part of the mob, identified the house as belonging to a Sikh.

The situation escalated, forcing Singh to be covertly escorted out of the house under the cover of darkness. He was taken to the airport and returned to Mumbai the next morning, resuming his responsibilities at the Reserve Bank.

He seldom spoke about the episode publicly about these personal tragedies.

Visits to Pakistan

During his tenure as Prime Minister, Singh expressed regret for not traveling to Pakistan to finalize a peace accord, though many were unaware that he had visited Pakistan twice before.

In 1968, he traveled to meet the renowned economist Mahbub ul Haq and visited the Panja Sahib Gurdwara, where he had been named as an infant. He also visited Karachi at the invitation of his London-based classmates, Sohail and Yasmin Lahri.

Another visit came in 1984 when he attended a meeting of Asian central bank governors in Islamabad and made a memorable trip to Rawalpindi to buy Urdu books. Singh often recalled how a shopkeeper, upon realizing he was from India, refused payment out of respect.

Singh’s tenure as Prime Minister was marked by bold initiatives, many of which reflected his vision for India’s future. However, his leadership was not without challenges, especially from within his own party.

Although Congress president Sonia Gandhi supported Singh during his first term, other senior leaders were uneasy with his decision-making. For instance, Singh’s appointment of diplomat J.N. Dixit as National Security Advisor was met with resistance, as many party members lobbied for M.K. Narayanan, the former intelligence chief.

This led to a compromise where Dixit was made the external security advisor, and Narayanan handled internal security, though tensions between the two persisted.

In 2004, shortly after assuming office, Singh emphasized the importance of making borders irrelevant to promote peace with neighboring Pakistan. His pragmatic approach gained traction when Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf expressed a desire to watch an India-Pakistan cricket match in Delhi.

While Singh supported the idea, he faced resistance from his advisors. Undeterred, Singh extended a formal invitation to Musharraf during a parliamentary session, leaving many in his administration surprised.

Singh’s peace efforts with Pakistan included backchannel negotiations led by diplomat Satinder Lambah.

These talks aimed to resolve long-standing issues like Kashmir, focusing on reducing the Line of Control to a mere line on a map and enhancing local autonomy.

The proposed steps included facilitating free travel and trade, creating joint institutions for governance, and eventually withdrawing troops from contentious areas like Siachen.

However, internal opposition within the Congress Party, coupled with political sensitivities, derailed these initiatives.

Singh’s visit to the Siachen Glacier in 2005 was another bold move. Declaring that the icy battlefield should become a symbol of peace, he sought to build public support for demilitarization.

As Singh’s tenure progressed, the internal dynamics of the Congress Party began to shift. Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who had been a steadfast supporter, became more focused on paving the way for her son Rahul Gandhi’s political future.

This change in priorities left Singh with limited backing for his ambitious initiatives, particularly on Pakistan and Kashmir. His inability to garner support from his party underscored the challenges of leading a coalition government.

Despite these obstacles, Singh’s legacy as a statesman remains enduring. His life and career were defined by resilience, intellect, and an unwavering commitment to public service.

From narrowly escaping a mob in 1984 to navigating complex political landscapes as Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh’s story is one of quiet determination and a deep sense of duty to his nation.