Film on Sikh massacre to play at Harper
Today, Harper College will be the focus of many in the local Sikh community.
That's because the Palatine campus will host the Chicago-area premiere of "The Widow Colony," an award-winning human rights documentary chronicling the stories of Sikh women dealing with the deaths of their husbands, brothers and sons after the 1984 riots in India following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards.
In apparent retaliation, the riots led to the massacre of thousands of Sikhs in a span of 48 hours.
Ruby Kular of Arlington Heights helped arrange the Harper showing of the documentary after hearing the movie was being shown across the country. Kular, a Sikh, wants to raise awareness about massacre.
"I felt it was important for it to (be shown) here," he said.
Though evidence suggests the Indian government ordered some of the riots, no one has ever been prosecuted. A formal apology for the bloodshed was made in 2005 by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, though it didn't explicitly acknowledge government involvement. Many Sikhs rejected the apology, as many believe some of those thought responsible continue to serve in government posts.
Rajinder Mago of Wayne has lived in the Chicago area nearly 40 years. He helped found the Palatine-based Sikh Religious Society of Chicago. Though there are many reminders of massacres like the Jewish Holocaust, Mago says the Indian government has effectively covered up the Sikh massacre.
"If the government in India is truly a democracy, they should take some action and put this in the past forever," Mago said.
There about 25 million Sikhs worldwide, with about 210,000 in the U.S. It's the world's fifth-largest religion, found predominantly in the northern Indian province of Punjab.
"The Widow Colony" producer Manmeet Singh, who is Sikh, finished the film in 2006 with his wife, Harpreet Kaur, directing. Singh won't be in Palatine for the screenings but said in a Friday phone interview from Delhi that his documentary takes no sides.
The film shows how the surviving women live their lives together in a Delhi neighborhood.
"The first reaction when you watch the movie is these women keep repeating they want to have justice," Singh said. "And that's something that hasn't been delivered."
Many of these women are destitute, he also said.
Singh said showing the film to Western audiences could place pressure on the Indian government to take action and give the victims closure and justice.
There will be two showings Harper's J Theatre, at 2:15 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. today. Tickets are $10 and $12 at the door, and can be purchased by calling (847) 791-8778. Singh said he hopes to release the movie on DVD by the end of the year. Check thewidowcolony.com for more information.