1984 Anti-sikh massacre Narrating a story through phulkari
Image of Panj Pyare from a Nagar kirtan, during baisakhi
Introduction This project is about a community, a community of Sikhs which constitutes about only 2% of India's population. The word Sikhism depicts 'disciple' and 'learner.' Guru Nanak Dev Ji established the religion in the 15th century. The main emphasis of this religion is service to humanity. Many peoples tried to eradicate religion. But it stood against all the odds. 5KMJKUO # UVQT[ QH C EQOOWPKV[ YKVJ NQVU QH UCETKƒEGU and lots of courage and boost the morale to stay healthier. But it is regrettable for a community to get despair in return even after doing so much. An incident which we can't forget, it lies deep inside everybody and as a scar would remain with the person till the time one dies. That incident was the 1984 Sikh genocide, one of the darkest phases in the history of
humankind. This incident was a well-planned massacre that was done only for Sikhs. Thousands of Sikhs were killed just for the sake of their identity. It is a mark, a question on Sikh identity. People who have seen 1984 or the survivors, has never come out from the trauma. While growing up, I have always heard stories from my parents about the genocide. This incident is something that I wasn't a part of, but I somehow feel connected while being a part of this community. Did I felt why this only happened to my community? Why does the whole community get the punishment for killing one? And why there is no justice provided till yet. Through this brief, I wanted to highlight the life of people, which got shattered, and became incomplete and reflect on the circumstances that happened during that time.
Ta ble of con tents
1984 Sikh Genocide Operation Blue Star Assassination of Indira Gandhi Four days of terror The Widow Colony Phulkari Building a connection Concept Note Mood Board Colour Board Phulkari Explorations Design Developments
Man is still alive, ashamed of being alive.| - Shahid Nadeem's
Operation Blue Star Operation blue star was a military operation. Which was ordered by Indira Gandhi in June 1984. To remove Sant jarnail singh and his team from the Harmandir sahib complex (Golden Temple), who were known to be carrying weapons with them. Operation blue star has been traced back to the Khalistan movement. Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale started Khalistan movement, Who demanded to create an independent state for Sikh people, inside the North-Western Republic of India. The Khalistan movement had been initially started in the early 1940s and '50s, but the movement became popular in the 1970s and 1980s. Jarnail Singh is known to be one of the powerful leader of that time and he had a massive influence on the Sikh youth in Punjab during that time as the leader of the Taksal. The main motive of Operation Blue Star was to eliminate Sant Jarnail Singh, along with other Sikh militants, and regain control over the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar.
Sant jarnail singh with his team at Harmandir Sahib complex
Women who lost their husbands during ths operation, crying for justice.
This operation lasted for around ten days.
Sri akal takht sahib, Amristar Punjab. Actual image.
Sri Akal Takht sahib, Amritsar Punjab. After the attack.
June 1, 1984: 'Guru Ram Das Langar' building inside the Golden Temple was attacked by the Indian Army. It that attack, around 8-10 people died. June 2, 1984: Approximate seven divisions of Army were deployed Punjab. Media faced a blackout, and transportation CNUQ UWHHGTGF C UKIPKƒECPV UGVDCEM FWTKPI VJCV VKOG 1WVUKFGTU were denied entry. In many parts of Amritsar, water and electricity supply was cut off. June 3, 1984: Punjab faced a complete curfew as the Army and para-military were patrolling around. Harmindar Sahib's entries and exits were completely sealed. June 4, 1984: Ramgarhia Bungas, inside the Harmandir Sahib Complex was bombed. Ordnance QF 25 pounder was used to attack the Sikh militants. Gurcharan Singh Tohra, former head of SGPC, was appointed to negotiate with Bhindranwale. However, the negotiations had failed. June 5, 1984: Hotel Temple View and Brahm Boota Akhara, on the southwest fringes of the complex was attacked by BSF and CRPF. June 6, 1984: Army used tanks to destroy the Akal Takhat. June 7, 1984: The Indian Army had gained control over the Harmandir Sahib complex.
Assassination of Indira Gandhi
A news article about the death of Indira Gandhi
Two sikh bodyguards of Indira gandhi Satwant Singh (L) and Beant Singh (R)
_ ±_ _ ¯_ ¸ _° £ ¯_¬¹ _ ¼_ £ ±_ ¼ ±_°¬¥ ±_¬¹u | - Rajiv Gandhi justifying 1984 riots
Four days of terror
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120
Sikhs were hanged from the ceiling at the railway platform. In Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh
Sikhs working at the Bokaro Steel Plant Jharkhand thrown alive into burning furnaces.
3,000
October 31 1 2 3 November
1,000
Sikhs were killed in delhi itself
1,000 of Sikh women gang raped throughout India by goons, police QHƒEGTU CPF EKXKN CFOKPKUVTCVQTU
of Gurudwaras and Guru Granth Sahibs were burnt and desecrated.
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3
A women looking at his husband photograpgh who was killed in 1984 genocide. Gurdwara shaeed ganj, Tilak Vihar.
The Widow colony
The Widow Colony in Tilak Vihar
A widow colony has been setup in tilak vihar, where no men was left alive. All of them were killed in the genocide and after 35 years of stuggle these women are still waiting for justice to prevail. After the genocide these women were left with no choice, without the support system they raised their children on their own and got goverment jobs to earn a piece of bread. and that was the starting point of stuggle in thier life. Many of them even didn’t get to see their husnad face for the last time or, to do the last rituals.
Surinder Kaur, 72, lost her husband Anoop Singh in the genocide.
Manjeet Kaur, 65, who lost her husband Surinder Singh, in 1984, is still awaiting justice.
Jamna Kaur, 70, lost her husband Ranjha Singh, and son Jaggu Singh, in the genocide.
Majeet Kaur, 66, lost her husband Mehar Singh
Phulkari Phul means ‘ Flower’ and ‘ Kari’ means work. The base of this craft is’ khaddar’ cloth and silk threads. The origion of this beautiful craft can be traced back to the 15th century. The female member of the family used to gather in their leisure hours to spin the charkha and embroider. Phulkari is used for ceremonial ocassions, during a birth of a child or at marriages. It is mostly worn QXGT C VKIJV ƒVVGF EJQNK CPF IJCITC HQTOGF VJG TWTCN YQOGP of punjab. In phulkari embroidery is done from the reverse side using darning stich over counted threads. Only one thread is taken up with each pick of the needle, leaving a long stich below to form a pattern. Stiching is done diagonaly and it form a pointed ends.
A women doing Phulkari Embroidery
Some have opinons that this craft migrated from persian art, where an similar emboidery called gulkari was practised. While some other theory states that when jat tribes of punjab, basically peasents migrated from central asia, persia. They came up with patterns that were inspired from persian gardens, chahar bagh which means four garden consista of four sqare within a sqare. There were also predictions that ƒTUV UKMJ IWTW )WTW 0CPCM &GX LK UKUVGT CNUQ WUGF VQ FQ 2JWNMCTK
Handmade Phulkari
Picking up motifs from the actual phulkari and deriving it as per the concept.
Creating outlines
Different types of phulkari being displayed at Craft museum.
Deriving motifs
The blank space reflect the rawness in the life of 1984 riots survivors
log book ideation
Geometric motifs
Illustrations of Phulkari Motifs
Filling one side of the motif and keeping the other side incomplete. I developed the Phulkari motifs on illustrator, the motifs were kept similar as it is on the actual phulkari. The main motive of developing the motifs was to create and understand the size and its fall on the silhoutte.
Building a CONNECTION
Cruelity Burden Scars Anger dark phase killing never fogetting survival
1984 SIKH GENOCIDE
PHULKARI
Beginning of Happiness Growth Godwill Affection Daily life Bright colurs Heirloom
Concept Note
This collection is a combination of two severely different things. On one side, there is complete pain and rawness, and on the other hand, it's a beginning of happiness. These two topics are like two faces of coins. But there is a slight similarity which makes them stand against each other. Phulkari a craft which marks the arrival of happiness, and on the other side 1984 genocide was all about pain and separation. Phulkari is given as an heirloom to daughters when they get married. And 1984 was a memory which is also passing on from generation to generation as an heirloom, DWV KV KU OWEJ JGCXKGT ƒNNGF YKVJ RCKP /CMKPI RJWNMCTK OQVKHU KPEQORNGVG KU C TGOCTM VQ UJQY JQY things have changed for the survivors or the families who lost everything in the genocide. Their happiness somehow faded away, but they have also regain control over their lives to make it QXGTEQOG VJKU CPF UVCPF ƒTO
Mood Board
Anti - Sikh Massacre
Color Board The color board resembles fire. As during the massacre, the light was everywhere, and black smog covered the sky after the incident.
Phulkari Exploration Phukari exploration with different material -
This exploration shows that one side of motif is filled up with temporary thing. That’s how the people have filled up their life now also.
This exploration is done of jute fabric, it showcase how rough the life is but the person tries to be happy in that time.
This exploration is done using soft cotton dori to depict the softer side of person who has lost everything.
This fabric hepled in avhieving the geometric motifs more easily. it shows how women beautifully do all the work from start to end.
This exploration is completely blank from one side, which shows the life of surviors that is incomplete.
this exploration also has the same meaning but it has a unique shape that make it look like a 3d motif of Phulkari.
This exploration is also a depction of a person life who lost someone and his life is incomplete without him.
This exploration was done seperately and later got stiched on the fabric, it showcase how a person has beenstoring memories from past and keeping it safe.
Actual phulkari Explorations with Anchor Threads
These are some actual phulkari explorations achieved with both hands and machine, reflect the same depction as prevoius explorations.
Restriction Shoot
This shoot was done as a part of this project. To show the situation of people who have gone through so much in their life. It depicts the transition from being boubded to slowly moving away from it and getting realeased in the end. 1984 was a very saddest part for the families, it took years for families and most importantly womens who lost everthing, to recover from this loss.
Restriction
Breaking
Release
Efforts
covered up This garment describe the feeling of being covered up. As the home wasn’t safe, nor the outside. The person was unable to move, he was helpless and wasn’t able to help others also. This garment is made in a way that it cover the whole body leaving the face. The extension in the garment resonate with the feeling that the person was going through at that time.
Motif placement on chest, it will travel from front to back
Long sleeves with zipper at the bottom, and has a opening from inside
Extension of sleeves and legs for totaly covered up Motif placement on end of the sleeves
Opaque fabric stockings to cover full legs
Artwork created for look 1
The artwork depicts the situation when the riots happened, people were stuck at thier home. They were not feeling safe inside or outside. It depicts the situation which was happening outside. blood comig inside the house as large no of people were being killed and there is a shadow of a person who has a sword in his hand.
Look 1
Muslin Explorations
Changes made in the final muslin
Basic bodice with long sleeves and a zipper at the end. which can only be opened from inside.
Pants with extension which makes the pesron difficult to move.
Muslin explorations created for look one. The long sleeves were added as an extenion to keep the person safe, as it was very dangerous to go out. At the and of the sleeves there is a zipper which could only be opened from inside. The same thing was added to the pants also, but later changesd the design. As it would be difficult for a person to move in them.
Changes in muslin for look 1
Sleeve details
This exploration was created to use an an extention below the sleeves and pants. this effect was created with bobbin elastic to show crumbled look, that will provide limited movement.
Trouser details
Final muslin of look 1
The garment is depicting a very common situation which was applied by veryone who were the part of the riots. Sikh men were burnt to death by putting tyre around their body. This garment is an actual representaion of how the person was forcefully put into restriction, and he became helpless and lost his life.
Shoot with tyre on human body This shoot was done for the second look which shows how people were burnt to death in 1984 by putting tyre on their body. They must have gone through so much of pain, as no even bothered to help them. So, a little exploration was done with tyre to depict the situation that happened in 1984, and deriving silhouette from the form.
look 2
Drawing of how to achieve the structure
this part to be filled with motifs to show how the life cahnged after the riots
The structure will be attached to the fabric
Short pants
Drawing for form development on body
This garment is about moving away from the past memories. but it has limited movement, which marks the beginning of a person moving away from sorrows and pain. It is difficult to move on when the past memories are so dark and intense. but time heals everthing. it marks the journey of how people overcome their fear and started living a normal life again.
limited movement of arms
loosing away from the past memories
An element which makes difficlty in walking pushes back
Look 3 With elastic
Without elastic Making the sleeve and bodice as one single part
Basic skirt converted into pants providing minimal movement
The set of muslins created for look 3, provde a minimal amount of ease. The upper top was created with a extension that will provide limited movement. First it was a basic, then elastic was added for more movement. To create the pants, same principle was applied, the pants are made in such away that it restrict the movement of the person but also give free space around the body.
Range
LOOK 1
LOOK 2
LOOK 3