(Image source from: The Tribune)

The General Assembly of Pennsylvania has passed a resolution terming anti-Sikh riots of November 1984 as 'Sikh genocide', American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (AGPC) coordinator Pritpal Singh told TOI on Thursday.

The resolution was submitted by Alex Charlton and Jamie Santora as 'noncontroversial resolution' under Rule 35, he said.

It said the Sikh community, which originated in Punjab (India), started immigrating into the United States over 100 years ago and had played a crucial role in developing the country and the Commonwealth.

The resolution stated that the Sikh genocide began on November 1, 1984, after the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Delhi and the states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa, Jammu and Kashmir, Tripura, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Maharashtra.

The California states assembly on April 16, 2015, had unanimously passed 'assembly concurrent resolution' 34 which acknowledged the alleged 'systematic and organized' killings of Sikhs in Delhi and recollects those who died during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The resolution as well talked about the mass grave discovered in 2011 at Hondh Chillar village in Haryana and 'widow colony' of Tilak Vihar in Delhi.

It says that the Sikh genocide lasted three days and more than 30,000 Sikhs were viciously murdered or died as they were hunted in their homes, where they were hacked and burned alive.

Pritpal, who is as well a member of American Sikh Caucus Committee, said that they (Sikh leaders) acclaimed Charlton and Santora for presenting and general assembly of Pennsylvania for passing the resolution.

Welcoming this move, Sikh groups in the U.S. said, "American Sikh Caucus committee and Sikh Coordination committee East Coast thank the Pennsylvania General Assembly for unanimously passing the resolution condemning the November 1984 anti-Sikh violence in India as genocide."

It added, "We would continue to work with legislators to seek justice for the 1984 Sikh Victims of Genocide."

-Sowmya Sangam