Even before intervening in the Lok Sabha debate on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had made up his mind on Union Minister of State for NRI Affairs Jagdish Tytler. And by the time he buried the ATR to unspool a fresh line of action, Singh had already asked Tytler to quit, making him the first Congress minister to be removed from the UPA Government. Soon after the House rejected — 254 to 128 — the Opposition-sponsored adjournment motion, Tytler met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and handed over his ‘‘voluntary resignation’’. But his fate had been sealed during a meeting with the Prime Minister at 2.30 pm. Faced with a tough call to combat the Opposition and Left criticism and protect Congress’ credibility among the Sikhs, the Prime Minister had told Tytler to resign. The Nanavati Commission had recommended necessary action against Tytler, arguing there was ‘‘credible’’ evidence against him and he ‘‘very probably’’ had a hand in the anti-Sikh violence. Trying to make a virtue of a compulsion, Tytler later told reporters: ‘‘Does it look good to say that I will stick to my post and face the inquiry?’’ Only yesterday, a defiant Tytler had told the media: ‘‘Why should I resign? The party and the Government are fully with me.’’ Today, a chastened Tytler even offered an explanation, ‘‘Since the media and the Opposition have created a perception to the whole world that we have done something fishy, I think what the Prime Minister has done (by offering a fresh probe) is right.’’ Reaching out to the Sikh community, which backed the Congress only recently after years of alienation, the Prime Minister has declared that ‘‘wherever the commission has named any specific individuals as needing further examination or specific cases needing re-opening and re-examination, the government will take all possible steps to do so within the ambit of law.’’ A re-examination implies a fresh inquiry into Tytler’s role and re-opening of cases against Sajjan Kumar. Singh has made two more promises — action against erring government and police officials and rehabilitation of riot-victims. He said the government will try to book the guilty officials ‘‘to the maximum extent possible.’’ This would bring the role of the then Police Commissioner S.C. Tandon under a scanner. The PM said ‘‘it may be considered late in the day’’ to talk of rehabilitation of families of victims, but the Government ‘‘will try to ensure that the widows and children of those who suffered in this tragedy are enabled to lead a life of dignity and self-respect.’’ The PM, who described himself as a ‘‘student of politics’’, displayed immense finesse in balancing his loyalty to the Nehru-Gandhi family with the efforts to touch an emotional chord with the Sikhs. He referred to the assassination of Indira Gandhi, ‘‘a great national leader’’, ‘‘in her own courtyard,’’ the contribution made by Jawaharlal Nehru in Punjab’s development and Rajiv Gandhi’s role in restoring peace in the state through an accord with Sant H.S. Longowal. Along side, he cautioned Akalis against fanning ‘‘discontent’’ among the youth in Punjab and said: ‘‘Punjab is again on the move’’ and ‘‘we have an obligation to contribute to that process.’’ The outrage before
