A pinch of scepticism must necessarily be added to the welcome decision of the Supreme Court to appoint its own Special Investigation Team into 186 cases relating to the politically-endorsed carnage in the Capital, and elsewhere, following the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi. Scepticism because there have been so many inquiries that have yielded little to bring justice to the victim-community that it will be a mini-miracle if the latest exercise bears fruit, even though the Chief Justice of India has taken it upon the apex court to ensure an impeccable, professional operation this time around.

While the unrequited plea for justice for families still suffering will be uppermost in most minds, there is equal need to focus on why the SIT appointed by the NDA government had made a mockery of its designated task ~ closing 186 of 240/250 cases without any fresh investigation. Penalising members of that team is as vital as trying to nail those who participated in the blood-letting spree of 1984, which still horrifies those who witnessed it even from the fringes. There is more than an element of hypocrisy to the Congress party “welcoming” the most recent initiative ~ not only had its leaders led/instigated the rampaging mobs, they had “instructed” the police to tamper with what little evidence had been recorded.

That tampering fuels the reasons for scepticism ~ 33 years have elapsed and while valid suspicions abound evidence that could withstand judicial scrutiny will be difficult to muster. The members of the new team will have to come up with efforts revolutionary and refreshing if a rare ray of light is to be cast on one of the darkest chapters in the history of independent India.

Fortunately some of the known perpetrators of the killings ~ it was no riot, but the term “ethnic cleansing” had not been coined at the time ~ are around so a limited scope does exist to bring the guilty to book. This could be the final opportunity to fix both those who indulged in violence and worse, those who crafted the elaborate cover-up. The Supreme Court had not finalised the team it was appointing when this commentary was being written, but its members must be wished every success ~ they may be in the process of creating history, disproving the argument that those who had yielded authority can “get away with murder”. As well as eradicating a stench that has pervaded the “system” for over three decades. Did the bard not note that “all the perfumes of Arabia….”

A closing word of caution. It would be tempting to make political capital of the Supreme Court’s attempt to unravel a mess involving all governments from Rajiv Gandhi’s onwards: that would be as much a disgrace as events in November 1984. Criminality is not to be confused with politics.