Historical Context: The Origins of the Khalistan Movement? (Part 3)

Relocation of Bhindranwala inside Golden Temple.

 

On December 15, 1983, Bhindranwale relocated to the Akal Takht inside the Golden Temple, in order to ensure his safety. He firmly believed that no leader would dare to enter the Golden Temples. The Darbar Sahib was located here, and Bhindranwale began to sit at the Akal Takht, where he had amassed a collection of weapons and formulated a strong plan with the support of experienced individuals, such as retired Major General Sahbeg Singh.

Major General Sahbeg Singh was a war hero from the 1971India Pakistan conflict and had trained the fighters of Bangladesh's Mukti Vahini, possessing expertise in guerrilla warfare.

For his contribution to the war, he was bestowed with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal. But one day before retirement he was levied with charges of corruption and was suspended, It had stopped his pension. He claimed he had done nothing wrong and later he went to court and won, but he was now convinced that he was discriminated against based on religion.

Other than that another retired Major General Jaswant Singh Bhullar was there training the fighters of Bhindranwale.

 

Operation Blue Star.

 

Operation Blue Star From here, the government and Bhindranwale were in front of each other. The certainty of the war was in question as both the government and Bhindranwale were actively preparing for it. Numerous trucks frequently delivered a vast collection of weaponry to the Akal Takht. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Indira Gandhi attempted a different approach by proposing the implementation of the Anandpur Sahib Resolution. However, she stipulated that certain points would not be feasible. The proposal was transmitted to the Akali Dal and subsequently to Bhindranwale, who rejected it outright. Bhindranwale accused the Akali Dal of being motivated solely by greed for power, as evidenced by their acceptance of the proposal.

Following the rejection of the proposal, the government geared up for combat. Army personnel began entering the Golden Temple to track the location and activities of Bhindranwale's fighters. The responsibility of this operation, named Operation Bluestar, was entrusted to Major General Kuldip Singh Brar, a clean-shaven Sikh officer.

Tanks, mountain guns, divers, and police dogs arrived from various parts of the country Punjab, giving people an inkling that something significant was about to happen. However, even the President and Supreme Commander of the Army at that time, Gyani Jail Singh, was not privy to the details of the operation.

 

When all local and foreign news reporters were rounded up expect one.

 

On 1st June 1984, a curfew was imposed across Punjab, and phone lines were disconnected as the army took control. All local and foreign news reporters were rounded up from hotels and other places.

However, one reporter, Brahma Chellani, from Associated Press, was left behind and reported on the events that transpired. His report was published in the Times of London, where he revealed that many Sikhs were shot, and more than a thousand Sikh militants were killed, contrary to the government's official figure of 600 deaths. Later, Brahma was sued for spreading misinformation and breaking the law.

The actual battle of Operation Bluestar took place from the 3rd to the 6th of June. The timing of the operation was controversial because the 3rd of June is the (martyrdom) anniversary of Guru Arjun Dev Ji, and it is a day when more devotees come to the Golden Temple. However, all the devotees were stopped by Bhindranwale and taken hostage to prevent the army from attacking.

Initially, the Indian army believed that they could easily defeat Bhindranwale, but this proved to be wrong. The militants were well-prepared with rocket launchers, anti-tank guns, snipers, and a well-trained military force inside the temple complex, which caused considerable damage to the Indian army.

On the 5th of June, those inside the Golden Temple were asked to surrender, but the initial plan was to cut off communication from the outside and wait for the militants to surrender. The electricity, telephone lines, and drinking water supply to the temple were all cut off as part of this plan.

As news began to flood in, thousands of Sikhs from surrounding villages started converging towards Amritsar, armed with weapons. Army helicopters were sighted all around the city, and this forced the army to finish Operation Bluestar within one or two days, regardless of the situation. As a result, the Golden Temple suffered even more damage, with the army deploying anti-tank weapons and attacking from three sides. The decision to attack the Akal Takht was a significant one, but it came at a cost, with Bhindranwale's people coming out and engaging in a fierce firefight.

 

The morning when the army regained the Golden Temple and Operation Wood Rose.

 

Despite fighting until the end, Bhindranwale and his fighters were eventually killed, and the army regained control of the Akal Takht by around 4:30 in the morning. However, when people came to see the Golden Temple, they found that both the Akal Takht and the Darbar Sahib had been fired upon, which infuriated Sikhs all around the world.

After Operation Bluestar, the aftermath was severe. Out of the eight cantonments of the army, 4000 Sikhs had rebelled and killed their officers, attempting to reach Amritsar. Many Sikh MPs and MLAs had resigned, and the situation was dire. Although Bhindranwale had died, his supporters were still present. As a result, the army launched the second round of the operation, which was named Operation Wood Rose. In this operation, all villages were raided, and Sikh people were checked for weapons.

However, this caused widespread anger, leading to the government's arrest of the entire Akali leadership, including Sant Longewal and Prakash Singh Badal.

This created a leadership vacuum, which was then filled by militants. The army withdrew from the Golden Temple on 1st October 1984, but the damage was already done. Many people who visited the Golden Temple during this time saw the damage done and took an oath upon the Guru Granth Sahib that they would seek revenge against those who had caused this destruction.

Overall, the aftermath of Operation Bluestar was a severe blow to the Sikh community, causing widespread anger and resentment towards the government and the army. It would take many years for the community to recover from this traumatic event

 The assassination of Indira Gandhi and the hit list of other elites.

President Gyani Jail Singh was among those targeted by a hit list that also included Indira Gandhi, her sons and family, and various army officers and civilians. Indira Gandhi visited the Golden Temple and was deeply disturbed. Knowing that the Sikh community would likely retaliate strongly, measures were taken to provide bodyguards and bulletproof vests to those under threat, with Indira Gandhi's house being heavily guarded. However, when her security officers suggested removing the Sikh guards from her personal security, Indira Gandhi refused, fearing it would send the wrong message.

On October 31, 1984, Indira Gandhi was shot and killed by her Sikh bodyguards, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, resulting in heightened tension between Hindus and Sikhs. Sonia Gandhi quickly rushed Indira to AIIMS, but she passed away later that day. A mob gathered outside AIIMS, beating any Sikhs in sight, including President Gyani Jail Singh when he arrived. The violence quickly spread throughout Delhi, with Sikhs being targeted, their shops looted, and their vehicles burned.

More than 1,000 Sikhs were killed, over a hundred Gurudwaras were burned, and women were dishonored. The police did little to intervene and those arrested for the crimes were later released without inquiry by the government.

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