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Literary Review
BOOKWATCH
1984 revisited
ANITA JOSHUA
When a Tree Shook Delhi: The 1984 Carnage and its Aftermath, Manoj Mitta and H.S. Phoolka, Lotus, Rs. 395.
Recently, during a discussion on public broadcasting, a television journalist sought to make the point that Gujarat — unlike the 1984 anti-Sikh riots — would remain etched forever in the collective memory of the nation because of 24x7 television. Nobody in the audience bothered to challenge that sweeping comment but if proof was ever needed to the contrary, then Manoj Mitta and H.S. Phoolka’s joint venture on the 1984 carnage is fresh evidence.
Twenty-three years after the massacre of Sikhs in the capital, the recollection is as sharp as if it was only yesterday that an entire community was targeted for the sins of a few of their lot. Together, print journalist Mitta and advocate Phoolka have used words and just 14 black-and-white pictures to piece together the carnage, the cover-up and the struggle for justice.
Sourced from the documents presented to the two commissions of enquiry — the first headed by Justice Ranganath Mishra and the second by Justice G.T. Nanawati — and personal experience spearheading and covering the legal battle, the book essentially reiterates what is common knowledge: That the Government created conditions conducive for the carnage and then turned a Nelson’s eye to it.
In terms of the “big picture”, the book offers nothing new; except refresh memory. But, the details make for an interesting read. A case in point being Union Commerce Minister Kamal Nath. While the Bhagat-Sajjan-Tytler troika has become synonymous with any mention of the 1984 riots, Kamal Nath’s name is seldom taken in the same breath. Here, there’s an entire chapter highlighting his presence at the head of the mob that laid siege to Gurudwara Rakab Ganj on November 1, 1984.
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