AI Generated Summary
- The friendships that transcended communal divides during the riots are not only a source of his survival but a lasting tribute to the values of unity and resilience.
- Cheema was in Punjab at the time, attending a family wedding, when the riots broke out, making it impossible for him to return immediately.
- Cheema, a survivor who was in Meerut during the tumultuous days, speaks with deep reverence for the Hindu friends and neighbors who protected his family while society seemed to fall apart around them.
In the shadow of one of India’s darkest chapters—the 1984 anti-Sikh riots—stories of humanity often went unheard. Today, the voice of Jagtar Singh Cheema echoes with both painful memory and heartfelt gratitude, as he recalls not just violence and loss, but the brave acts of those who stood by him.
Cheema, a survivor who was in Meerut during the tumultuous days, speaks with deep reverence for the Hindu friends and neighbors who protected his family while society seemed to fall apart around them.
“Men like Ashok, Ram, and our landlord, Pandit Nevla Prashad, risked everything for us,” he said, recalling how his wife Surinder Kaur and young sons, Pawan and Maninder, were shielded from the violence in his absence. Cheema was in Punjab at the time, attending a family wedding, when the riots broke out, making it impossible for him to return immediately.
What followed was a perilous journey back to Meerut. “Sikhs were being stopped and attacked at the Shambhu border,” he remembered. “I had to hide in a truck’s toolbox. I still remember the terror of that freezing night at a dhaba, thinking of my family and praying they were safe.”
Despite the tragedy and the loss of his land, Cheema didn’t bow to despair—or wait for the state to rebuild his life. By 1992, he had worked relentlessly to restore his livelihood, turning adversity into fortitude. In 2002, his family received government compensation of ₹2 lakh, but Cheema was never one to rely solely on outside support.
“We always believed in rebuilding what was ours—with our own strength. Now we live with dignity and self-respect,” he said, a quiet defiance still recognizable in his tone.
Cheema’s remembrance is a powerful reminder: even in the darkest moments, human kindness can shine through. The friendships that transcended communal divides during the riots are not only a source of his survival but a lasting tribute to the values of unity and resilience.
