IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1554 

Expressing support for the recognition and commemoration of the Sikh 

Genocide of 1984. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 25, 2024 

Mr. VALADAO (for himself, Mr. COSTA, Mr. FONG, Mr. DUARTE, and Mr. 

HARDER of California) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the recognition and commemoration 

of the Sikh Genocide of 1984. 

Whereas the Sikh religion, originating in the Punjab region 

of South Asia, is the fifth-largest faith in the world with 

over 25,000,000 followers, and is a monotheistic faith 

rooted in truth, service, and justice; 

Whereas Sikhism is practiced by over 500,000 individuals in 

the United States, and Sikhs have been part of the 

American fabric for more than 120 years, arriving initially to work on farms, in lumber mills, mines, and on 

the Western Pacific Railroad, and subsequently settling 

in every State and territory, contributing significantly to 

the Nation’s social, cultural, and economic landscape 

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•HRES 1554 IH 

culture, information technology, law, medicine, and many 

more; 

Whereas systemic and orchestrated genocidal violence was 

perpetrated against Sikhs in 1984 in the capital territory 

of Delhi, the states of Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, 

Haryana, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, 

Tripura, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, 

and Maharashtra, and India-administered Jammu and 

Kashmir; 

Whereas, during the Sikh genocide, Sikhs were assaulted, tortured, burned alive, and murdered, and Sikh women, 

many of whom lost their families during the genocide, 

were sexually assaulted and raped by groups of attackers; 

Whereas Sikh homes, businesses, and gurdwaras, or houses 

of worship, were looted, damaged, and destroyed during 

the genocide, causing the intentional destruction of many 

Sikh families, communities, homes, and businesses; 

Whereas the Indian government, through officials and Members of Parliament and with the support of the police and 

other state institutions, led genocidal attacks and participated in, and failed to intervene to prevent, the genocide; 

Whereas, in 1984, over 30,000 Sikhs were murdered; 

Whereas the ‘‘Widow Colony’’ in New Delhi still houses Sikh 

women who were assaulted, raped, tortured, and forced 

to witness the dismemberment, burning, and murder of 

their families, and who are still calling for justice against 

the perpetrators; 

Whereas the Sikh community in the United States has not 

recovered from the physical and psychological trauma of 


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the genocide, as they keep alive the memory of those who 

were killed, and will never forget the Sikh genocide; and 

Whereas recognizing the state-sponsored violence that targeted Sikhs across India is an important and historic 

step toward justice, accountability, and reconciliation, 

which should be an example to other governments: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that it is the policy of the United States to— 

3 (1) commemorate the Sikh Genocide of 1984 

4 through official recognition and remembrance; 

5 (2) call for all perpetrators, regardless of rank 

6 or status, to be brought to account; and 

7 (3) reject efforts to enlist, engage, or otherwise 

8 associate the United States Government with denial 

9 of the Sikh Genocide. 

Æ 


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