Ludhiana, November 3
They came to the Chief Minister seeking a balm for their bleeding wounds but were separated by a line dividing the common man and those in power and went back disappointed.

Victims of 1984 anti-Sikh genocide came to meet their leader Parkash Singh Badal who was usually mobbed by them when he was the leader of opposition. They had to leave with nobody to listen to their tragic tales.

The victims, who attended the function organised to pay tributes to the genocide victims by the Danga Peerat Welfare Society, remained separated by barricades as they listened to his address shouting at photojournalists to sit down so that they could have a glimpse of their leader.

As soon as he finished his address, several of them stood up from their enclosure and started narrating the horrifying experiences they had gone through in the 1984 genocide. But Badal cut them short saying everybody would be given justice.

‘‘Tuhade varge hor vi kai bhara han jhina ne bahut kujh vekhya. Asi sab nu insaaf diwawange (There are many like you who went through all that and we will get you justice), ’’ was the only assurance the Chief Minister could give them before leaving the venue. He arrived one and a half hour late for the function and the gathering had already been informed about his tight schedule by an announcer.

When he was talking to mediapersons, stopping outside the venue for several seconds, he was followed by some widows of the genocide who wanted to hand in an application reminding him of unfulfilled promises.

There were several of them who even went running after the CM but were stopped by the security cordon. ‘‘I am unable to see and my old body does not allow me to run after him. What shall I do?’’ asked a widow who was advised by a mediaperson to reach him through the organisers.

The pandal of the function was abuzz with activity as employees of deputy commissioner's office were busy collecting applications of the victims.

Badal said he would get the grievances of the victims relating to red cards, widow pensions and other problems redressed at the earliest.