Thread by @Kishlaysharma

Thread from my own experience :

It must have been either 1st or 2nd of November 1984. My joint family was a hard core Congressi one , my grandfather was once a companion to Gandhi and Nehru in Jail ,i can say pretty Nehruvian we were .
#NeverForget1984 1/16

The family and the nation was deep sunk in sorrow due to loss of a pretty popular Prime Minister but in disturbances too.
Violence has broken out on the evening of 31st Oct from Zakir Nagar , Delhi where AIIMS is located.
#NeverForget1984 2/16

The crowds, the mobs were directly pinning the Sikh community as those responsible for Indira's killing.
Attacks on Sikhs started spreading across North India, Haryana, UP, Bihar, MP apart from major ones in Delhi.
#NeverForget1984 3/16

A small city with a dense population in UP East at Bihar border we lived; also got gripped under violence & hooliganism.
My father who was serving the Indian Army but was on more than a month's leave at home suddenly was seen wearing his olive-green uniform.
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We were surprised, why this uniform, when on leave?
My Grand Ma asked him , he said " Amma , Bawaal zyada badh raha hai , Variyam ko dekh kar aata hoon ."
Variyam Singh or Variyam Chacha as we called was his childhood friend.
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His shop for utensils, torches, lanterns, etc was located around a couple of kms from our home.
I was very young but I would always enjoy Papa taking me out to Variyam Chacha and Mustafa Chacha ( Mustafa had a chemist shop )
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as they would play with me and will give me goodies to eat.
I was just hearing Papa - Daadi talking.
My Grand Ma stopped him " Kamlesh, Danga bahut zyada hai , abhi ghar mein raho , bheed har taraf hai , Upadhyay Ji bata rahe the ..."
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My father almost yelled at my grandma " Amma, abhi mat roko , Variyam se milna zaroori hai , Uski dukaan ko kahin kuch kar na dein " .
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Worried but strong authoritative mother, my grand ma was , shouted back " Bhaad mein gayi amma , jab baat nahin sun ni to , tumlog sab apne mann ki karte raho ."
My father was ready by now; wearing his uniform,
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went to Amma , " Abhi aa jaunga , chinta mat mijiye , bas dekh leta hoon , Variyam ke bacche to theek hain naa , Aap khana taiyaar rakhiye ."
Those days my father had a heavy Lambretta scooter, he kicked start it and went off our eyes .
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I was too young so was not worried but perhaps the family was waiting for him.
In a couple of hours, few people knocked on the door, they were from nearby. They were carrying my father, who was crying loud in pain.
#NeverForget1984 11/16

I started crying, i never saw my fauji father crying.
But i learn that his leg was hurt. He was placed on bed, his foot was bleeding and perhaps, people were saying ankle had a fracture.
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Anyway, later i learnt that while my father went to Variyam Uncle to disperse the crowd which was also eyeing Variyam Singh's shop, he was successful.

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Few known faces, some connections worked and the shutter opened up to give away some of the products to hooligans so as they will move ahead without doing much harm to shop or to family. Family was secured by my father's friends living there.
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While my father was returning, another mob, attacked him, for taking a Sikh Man's side.His running scooter crashed and fell on his feet.
Thankfully it happened really near to our home and he was saved by people there.
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36 Yrs down the line , during winters my father's leg still hurts at that spot near ankle, its a life long pain ....we can well understand the pain of those who lost everything those 3-4 days thus .We are with them in their pain !
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