{
  "id": 2169575,
  "title": "‘There was fire everywhere’: 1984 riot survivors recall the horror after Sajjan Kumar’s death",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/there-was-fire-everywhere-1984-riot-survivors-recall-the-horror-after",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-20T16:01:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/there-was-fire-everywhere-1984-riot-survivors-recall-the-horror-after-sajjan-kumars-death/article71369545.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "For Harpal Singh, the passing of former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar in 2026 evoked memories of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that left a lasting impact on his life. A 60-year-old car driver, Mr. Singh arrived in Delhi from Amritsar just a month before the riots, hoping to make a living in the city. He was 15 years old at the time. As the violence erupted, all he could see was fire everywhere. He watched in horror as other Sikh men were attacked, with burning rubber tyres around their necks. Mr. Singh's turbaned relatives were forced to hide in a dark room to escape the mobs. For him, Kumar's death after decades of waiting for accountability brought a sense of relief and justice to those who were killed. An eyewitness, Anand Banerjee, recalled the violence beginning in Kidwai Nagar, near the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, where Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was declared dead after being shot. Rioters attacked a Sikh man's general store, then the colony gurdwara, setting it ablaze. Fire and smoke were everywhere, and two buses parked outside the market were set on fire, killing and injuring people. Many were burnt alive. Resident Jagdish Kaur, whose husband and son were killed during the riots, testified against Kumar in the case where he was convicted in 2018. She described the inaction of the police and army, who were part of the crime. The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president, Harmeet Singh Kalka, said Kumar's death evoked mixed emotions among victims and the Sikh community, with some feeling relief and others a deep sense of anguish that he did not face the ultimate punishment for his crimes.",
  "summary": "For families who lost loved ones and witnesses who saw the violence unfold, Kumar’s death closes one chapter in a 42-year wait for justice; some expressed relief, others felt he had escaped the ultimate punishment for his crimes",
  "key_points": [
    "Sajjan Kumar's death evoked memories of 1984 anti-Sikh riots for survivors.",
    "Witness Harpal Singh saw fire everywhere, Sikhs attacked with burning tyres.",
    "Resident Jagdish Kaur testified against Kumar, who was convicted in 2018."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}