Anish Sarai

 

From 1984 to 1995, a Sikh militancy for greater autonomy took over in Punjab, India, fueled by gross human rights violations and discriminatory policies. Some militants committed crimes against the civilian populations and non combatants. To crush dissent, state security forces tortured, unlawfully killed and disappeared thousands of Sikhs and secretly cremated their bodies or dumped them in waterways.

Through this series I would photograph families of the victims at the place of their disappearance/ abductions. How the state went on doing these abductions and unlawful killings for years and how long lasting these impacts have had on generations to come. I would like to concentrate on the families of the victims and also archive the memories of the victims with found photographs, objects and family interviews.

As told by Kulwant Singh- On 30th July, 1987, Jaspal Singh(younger brother- 20 Years at the time) was taken away by Punjab police from his home at midnight when the whole family was sleeping. They went to find out where he was the next day, they were told he was at the Majitha Police Station but they could not speak to him.

On 5th August in the evening Jaspal and Kulwant singh’s Mom was taken by the police and then they sent her back with the dead body of Jaspal Singh, whose body was riddled with injury marks which were confirmed in the post mortem report and that happened because the villagers came together and refused to burn the body. They went to all the authorities to complain but were sent back with a warning as not meddle with them and what’s done is done.

There was no FIR which was ever filed, even though they knew the name of the police officers and after that his Father told him not to do anything as he had lost one son and did not want to loose another one. His mom and dad passed away in the hope of justice and the people responsible for the atrocity are either dead or are long retired and old.

He now just wants public acknowledgement of wrongful deaths and employment opportunity for his future generations to right some of the wrong committed on his family and many others like him.