I'll refrain from discussing the background of these events since this was, and still remains a sensitive issue. But to give context: The 1984 anti-Sikh riots, also known as the 1984 Sikh Massacre, was a series of organised pogroms against Sikhs in India following the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. The assassination of Indira Gandhi was in retaliation to her order to the Indian Army to attack the Harmandir Sahib complex in Amritsar, Punjab, in June 1984. The ruling Indian National Congress party had been in active complicity with the mob, as to the organisation of the riots.
Now back in the 80s, my mother was still a teenager and lived with my grandfather in Patna, Bihar. Their immediate neigbours were a sikh couple, who had two young daughters about my mother's age. I'll refer to the father as 'F' and mother as 'M'. They were the kindest people you'd meet. When the violence broke, Patna mostly remained unaffected. Yet for safety purposes, my grandfather advised F to change the houseplate name to a Hindu one. He complied. He did not go out in broad daylight and all phone calls were routed to our house.
But there was a problem. 'M' had been visiting Delhi with her two daughters at that time, which was the worst affected by violence. One night my grandfather picked up a call that made his blood run cold. It was M on the phone. M's brother, whom she was visiting had gone out looking for food(since the rations had run low) hadn't returned since the morning. To make matters worse, some INC workers had painted the letter 'S' on the front door. This meant that they had marked the house as belonging to a 'Sikh' family and would return at night to kill them. If someone saw her removing the sign she'd have been probably killed instantly.
My grandfather, being a practical man in these matters, told her to shut all the blinds, switch off the lights and to hide the girls under a cupboard. She complied. After a while, she peeked through the window to see an angry mob breaking into houses and setting them on fire after murdering the residents inside. It was later determined that INC workers had been provided voter lists that helped them identify and target Sikh people. She broke down.
Suddenly, the curtain partition let in a beam of moonlight that illuminated a framed painting of Guru Nanak Ji, the founder of Sikhism and first of their gurus. Taking it as a sign, she wept and prayed, "Waheguru ji, have mercy. If not me, save my
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Aamir Khan is one of the most admired celebrities of Bollywood, who pours his heart and soul into a script and his dedication motivates others to do the same. Also known as Mr. Perfectionist of Bollywood, Aamir is currently gearing up for his role in upcoming Lal Singh Chaddha. Recent reports from Deccan Chronicle stated that the movie will showcase India’s many controversial landmarks like Babri Masjid demolition, the formation of the Modi government and more...
Now, recent reports from Pinkvilla state that Lal Singh Chaddha will feature not Babri Masjid but another important event from the History, that being the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. “Not Babri Masjid demolition, but it is the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that will feature as an important part of the plot in the movie,” as revealed in the report.
Lal Singh Chaddha is an official adaptation of 1994 Hollywood cult Forrest Gump and was announced on Aamir Khan’s birthday (14 March), this year.
It will be directed by Secret Superstar fame Advait Chandan. Produced by Aamir Khan Productions and Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the film is expected to go on the floors in October and written by Atul Kulkarni.
The 54-year-old actor, who was last seen in Thugs of Hindostan, will have to lose around 20 kgs for his role in Lal Singh Chaddha. He also shared that he would be sporting a turban for some segments of the movie.
Forrest Gump, directed by Robert Zemeckis, is based on Winston Groom’s 1986 novel of the same name. It follows the life of Forrest Gump, a big-hearted man from Alabama, who witnesses and influences several historical events in the 20th century in the US.
