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1984 & I
A Call for Submissions

EDITOR

 

1984 was a watershed year in the history of the Sikhs and of the Sub-continent: two monumental tragedies engulfed the community in the very land to which it had given so much to liberate only three decades earlier.

The attack on and desecration of The Golden Temple in Amritsar, and in dozens of major Sikh centres across the land, and the accompanying murder of thousands of innocent men, women and children. The great Sikh Reference Library and the Toshakhana (the Treasury containing priceless jewels and antiques) were sacked and looted.

-  The anti-Sikh pogroms in New Delhi, the capital of the nation - in broad daylight, by mobs led by ruling-party politicians -  and in scores of towns and cities across the country.

To date, the culprits remain free. Some, though clearly identified and the requisite evidence presented in courts, remain part of the government hierarchy.  

This year, 2009, marks the 25th anniversary of the year which far outstripped the worst George Orwell could imagine in a cold, brutal, futuristic "1984".

We at sikhchic.com wish to dedicate this year to an introspection on the impact of 1984 on our respective and collective lives.

True, much will be said and written (and, we fear, little done) over the next twelve months on the historical facts of the twin outrages of that fateful year. And on the fact that nothing has been done to rectify the wrongs since then and to date, by a nation that poses as a "secular democracy".

A country that wastes no energy in whining and whimpering over the recent tragedies of Mumbai in late 2008, appears to have no ability to stand back and remember its own colossal atrocities against its own people ... and then, it wonders, confused and impotent, why its enemies have now entered its gates.

Much will be said and written, and we at sikhchic.com do not wish to duplicate what others, who have far better resources than us, will produce.

So, here's what we have in mind:

We would like you ... our readers ... to pen (or mouse) your thoughts on, and recollections of 1984, to capture your emotions and ruminations about the year that changed our lives, whether or not we were there in India, whether or not we were old enough then, or were yet to be born.

Each "essay"  -  for want of a better word -  is generically entitled "1984 & I".

It should not be a historical recantation of what happened in 1984; no litany of names and figures, for example. And it should not be a tirade against the authorities for not having done anything to date. All of that does need to be done, but we'll leave all of that to the others who do it so well ...

We want you to tell us, in your own words, of what you saw or heard or experienced, if you were in India then.

Of your fears and nightmares ...

Of the impact "1984" has had on you, even though you were far away, in distant lands.

Of what "1984" means to you now, even though you were too young then, or were born later.

Of how it changed your life, and the lives of those around you.

What we would like you to share are your personal stories, your anecdotes, your thoughts, your emotions triggered by 1984 ...

We believe it will help us all to understand 1984 and ourselves better. It is a good time to venture into such an exercise, now that we have the benefit of hindsight, and a full 25 years separating us from it, thus allowing us at least a modicum of objectivity.

If you have photos or images or documents or newspaper clippings that add to your story, please feel free to e-mail them - though they are not mandatory.

All submissions should be sent to editor@sikhchic.com. Each should be accompanied by your full name, age, full mailing address, e-mail address, phone contact details, etc. for our files. All personal info will be kept confidential and will not be passed on to any other parties under any circumstances or for any purposes.

However, if some of you wish to have your piece published anonymously, we will respect your wishes, but will nevertheless require full information from you, as listed above, for our files.

[sikhchic.com reserves the right to edit/abridge all submissions, as well as decline to publish any given submission - without giving a reason. Furthermore, sikhchic.com will have the right to publish any or all of the articles in the series on its site and/or any of its associated projects, without any charge or fee payable to any party.]

We look forward to hearing from you ... soon!

 

January 8, 2009

Conversation about this article

1: Gurmeet Kaur (Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.), January 12, 2009, 9:15 AM.

Sikhchic.com, I commend you for this idea. I hope that this will become a place for collection of forgotten stories that changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Sikhs. I hope you will get at least one story to share each day and I hope for it to be published in book form one day, for this piece of history is too precious to be lost. Also, please don't be critical on editing out names, etc. Let the truth flow as a whole.

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A Call for Submissions "









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