[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 190 (Wednesday, November 15, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1108]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





           RECOGNIZING THE 39TH ANNIVERSARY OF NOVEMBER 1984

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                         HON. MARY GAY SCANLON

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 15, 2023

  Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my Sikh friends in 
Pennsylvania and around the world to recognize the 39th anniversary of 
November 1984 anti-Sikh violence in India. November 1984 marks one of 
the darkest chapters in modern Sikh history. Sikhism traces its nearly 
600 years of history to the Punjab region of India. The Sikh community 
has a rich history in our country, with emigration dating back 100 
years. With nearly 30 million followers globally and a thriving 
community here in the United States, Sikhism is one of the world's 
major religions.
  Today we are here to remember the violence which occurred in November 
1984, after the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 
the capital territory of Delhi and most major cities of India. These 
killings lasted for days, and it is estimated that thousands of Sikh 
men, women, and children were brutally murdered in their homes and on 
the streets. Mr. Speaker, as a proud co-chair of the Congressional Sikh 
Caucus, remembering this heartbreaking violence that targeted Sikhs 
across India in 1984 is an important and historic step towards justice, 
accountability, and reconciliation and to prevent future such 
occurrences.

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