The Fresno city council voted to approve a resolution that recognizes the massacre of thousands of Sikhs in 1984 as a genocide. There is a large Sikh community in the Central Valley. Thursday hundreds packed into the Fresno council chambers as community leaders spoke about why recognizing the genocide is so important to them. There were so many people at city council chambers some of them had to listen from the lobby because it was a fire hazard to have so many people inside.
Thursday night the Fresno city council had a full house as they voted to approve a resolution that recognizes the 1984 attacks on Sikhs in india as a genocide.
“What you’re about to see is sort of a new resurgence where a lot of Sikhs because of the way this was passed has really given sort of a new fight that we need to become more civically engaged,” said Naindeep Singh, a Sikh community activist.
But the Indian government and much of the world doesn’t recognize the 1984 events in India as a “genocide”. In 1984, prime minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards. That sparked the killing of thousands of Sikhs. The Indian government estimates 3,000 were killed, but Sikh advocates say it was closer to 30,000. Fresno city leaders supported those who say this was a genocide.
“You have to stand for yourselves and I honor you guys for doing that,” said Fresno city council member Steve Brandau.
“I hope this provides that healing and that recovery and that acknowledgement that you need and that you deserve,” said Fresno city council member Clint Olivier.
For some Sikh community members the recognition begins a new chapter for their people in Fresno.
“It will shed more light on what we’ve been through and everything that’s happened with our culture,” said Anuroop Phandal, a member of the Sikh community.