Bhupinder Kaur

Only 9 years old in 1984, Bhupinder Kaur remembers those days as a haze of confusion and fear. Although protected from mob attacks given her family home’s particular location, the impact of the violence hit her and her family in different ways. In her narrative, she talks about her fufar ji (uncle) who was forced to cut his hair in order to successfully escape, the cousins that followed suit, and the sudden sense of shame and fear that seemed to be associated with being a Sikh in her neighborhood. “After 1984, Punjabi Hindus took off any signs, like the Ek Ong Kaars they earlier had outside their houses etc…like they wanted to have nothing to do with us…” And living in India she remembers the memories fading, because “we were never encouraged to talk about this.” Yet, the feeling of estrangement created a perceived loss of freedom that has always sat at the back of her mind…