Which Commission was constituted for the enquiry of excess done during 1984 riots?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 2:

The correct option is 2: Nanavati Commission.

The 1984 anti-Sikh riots, which primarily occurred in Delhi and surrounding areas following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, are considered one of the darkest chapters in modern Indian history. Over the years, numerous commissions were set up to investigate the violence, its causes, and the alleged involvement of political figures and police officials. However, due to political pressures and controversies surrounding the previous inquiries, the government constituted the Justice G.T. Nanavati Commission in 2000. This commission, headed by Justice G.T. Nanavati, was established under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952, to hold a fresh and comprehensive inquiry into the facts and circumstances leading to and the course of the organized violence against the Sikh community. The commission's report, submitted in 2005, was highly significant as it identified key political and police figures whose conduct warranted further investigation, thus specifically linking the Nanavati Commission with the inquiry into the 1984 riots. This commission represents the last and most exhaustive judicial inquiry into the matter.

The incorrect option is 1: Shah Commission.

The Shah Commission of Inquiry was constituted in 1977 by the Janata Party government to inquire into all the excesses committed during the period of the Emergency (1975–1977). This commission was mandated to investigate abuses of power, arrests, detentions, and other human rights violations that occurred during the 21 months of the Emergency rule under Indira Gandhi. Therefore, its mandate was entirely different, focusing on the Emergency period rather than the 1984 riots. The commission played a crucial role in documenting the oppressive atmosphere of the Emergency, but it had no relation to the violence of 1984.

The incorrect option is 3: Librahan Commission.

The Librahan Commission of Inquiry, headed by Justice M. S. Liberhan, was constituted to investigate the destruction of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. This incident was a major political and communal event in India, sparking widespread communal violence. The commission took nearly seventeen years to complete its inquiry and submit its report, making it one of the longest-running commissions in Indian history. Given that its investigation centered on the Ayodhya events of 1992, it is distinctly separate from the inquiry into the 1984 riots.

The incorrect option is 4: Srikrishna Commission.

The Srikrishna Commission of Inquiry was established by the Government of Maharashtra to investigate the communal riots that took place in Mumbai (then Bombay) between December 1992 and January 1993, following the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Headed by Justice B. N. Srikrishna, this commission looked into the causes and sequence of events that led to the violence in Mumbai. Although it dealt with a major communal riot in India's history, its jurisdiction and subject matter were strictly limited to the Mumbai riots of 1992–93 and did not concern the anti-Sikh riots of 1984.