Operation Blue Star

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Operation Blue Star
The Golden Temple with Akal Takht in the background
Date June 3, 1984 - June 6, 1984 Location Golden Temple in Amritsar, India Result Indecisive[citation needed]
Belligerents
Indian Army	Sikh militiamen
Casualties and losses
Military: 83 killed, 248 wounded	Militants (including civilians): 492 Killed

Operation Blue Star ( ਬਿਲਯੂ ਸਟਾਰ , बिल्यू स्टार ) (June 3 to June 6, 1984) was an Indian military operation ordered by Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India,^[1] to remove Sikh militants from Golden Temple in Amritsar .^[2] The operation was launched in response to a deteriorating law and order problem in the Punjab. The reasons for both late action and heavy army assault is highly debated among historians and intellectuals. The operation was carried out by Indian army troops with tanks and armoured vehicles.^[3] Militarily successful, it is considered to be a political disaster and an un-precedented act in modern Indian history.^[4]

The military assault on the Golden Temple caused an uproar among Sikhs all over the world. In India, many Sikhs resigned from armed and civil administrative offices and returned their government awards.^[5] Revenge for the desecration of the Sikh shrine was pledged by many of the community,^[5] resulting in the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards.

Contents 1 The operation 1.1 Bhindranwale in the Golden Temple 1.2 Overview 1.3 20 hrs - 22 hrs 1.4 22 hrs - 2330 hrs 1.5 2330 hrs - 01 hrs 2 Aftermath 3 Choice of time to attack by Government 4 Criticism of the Operation 5 References 5.1 External sources

[edit] The operation

Indira Gandhi first asked Lt. Gen. S.K Sinha, then Vice-Chief of Indian Army and who was to succeed as the Army chief, to prepare a position paper for assault on the Golden Temple.^[7] Lt. Gen. Sinha advised against any such move and suggested the government to adopt some other method to achieve its objective. A decision was made to supersede him and Gen. Arun Vaidya was appointed, in his place, as the Chief of Indian army. He was assisted by Lt. Gen. K. Sunderjee as Vice- Chief. The Operation Blue Star was eventually planned and executed by the duo.^[7]

On June 3, a 36 hour blanket curfew was imposed in the state of Punjab and all sorts of communications, Railways, Bus and Air services, were suspended.^[8] All lines of communications and supply of electricity were suspended. There was a total blackout and the state was cut-off from the rest of India and outside world.^[9] Complete censorship was placed on all types of Media.^[9]

The Indian Army stormed the Golden Temple on the night of June 5 under the command of Major General Kuldip Singh Brar. The army successfully took control of the Golden Temple on the morning of June 7. Bhindranwale, Shahbeg Singh and several other militants were killed in the operation. The casualties of the Army also ran into hundreds.^[10]

The Army action coincided with a Sikh annual festival. Many pilgrimages, old people, women and children were inside the temple when the Army action began. Many of them were killed or injured in the conflict.^[10]

[edit] Bhindranwale in the Golden Temple

Throughout his career Bhindranwale maintained contact with Indira Gandhi^[11], who secretly fostered his movement.^[12] Bhindranwale had earlier taken refuge in the Golden temple in April 1980, when he was named as a suspect in the killing of Nirankari chief Gurbachan Singh a culprit in his teaching.^[13], but only for a short time. The Nirankari chief, Gurbachan Singh, was earlier involved in an armed clash, outside the Golden Temple, with the sikh followers. Eighteen people died in the clash, 13 innocent Sikhs who were holding a peace protest against the ill teachings of anti-sikhism given by nirankari chief, 2 Nirankaris and 2 passersby.^[14][15] The clash was, supposedly, pre-mediated by the government^[14][15] and the Nirankaris were acquitted by the court on grounds of self defence.

In 1982, Bhindranwale along with about 200 followers moved into a guest house called the Guru Nanak Niwas, in the precincts of the Golden Temple.^[16] From here he began to meet international television crews as the violence in Punjab grew and Hindu travellers were targeted.^[16]

On 23 April 1983, Punjab Police Deputy Inspector General (DIG) A. S. Atwal was shot dead as he left the Golden Temple compound. The murder seemed to be handiwork of Naxalites. ^[17] The following day, after the murder, Harchand Singh Longowal (then president of Shiromani Akali Dal) hinted at the involvement of Darbara Singh (then Chief Minister of Punjab) in the murder.^[18]

On Oct 5, 1983 and Nov 18, 1983, Sikhs hijacked two buses, Sikh and Hindu passengers were separated and Hindus were shot. ^[19] The selective murders were condemned by Bhindranwale.^[20]

When Darbara Singh resigned as chief minister of Punjab after the massacre of Hindu travellers on October 6, 1983, Bhindarwale said " Six Hindus are killed and the (State) government has fallen. Two Hundred Sikhs have been gunned down by police and nothing has been done. This shows that to the (Central) government Hindu lives are more important than Sikh lives".^[21][22]

On December 15, 1983, Bhindranwale was forced to move out out of Guru Nanak Niwas by members of the Babbar Khalsa with Harcharan Singh Longowal's support, who by now feared for his own safety. By 1983, the Golden Temple became a shelter for a large number of militants . Mark Tully and Satish Jacob wrote^[23]:

"All ... terrorists were known by name to the shopkeepers and the householders who live in the narrow alleys surrounding the Golden Temple...The Punjab police must have known who they were also, but they made no attempt to arrest them. By this time Bhindranwale and his men were above the law."[Citation Needed]

The Golden Temple compound and some of the surrounding houses were fortified. The Statesman reported on July 4 that light machine-guns and sophisticated self-loading rifles were known to have brought into the compound. On February 1, 1984, Harcharan Singh Longowal claimed that Bhindranwale had suggested to him that motor cycles and arms should be purchased on a mass scale for killing members of a 'particular community'".^[24]Bhindranwale angrily responded to the allegation, saying " nothing is more farther in my mind than this ".^[21]

Faced with the imminent army action and with the premier Sikh political organisation, Shiromani Akali Dal headed by Harchand Singh Longowal, abandoning him, Bhindranwale declared " This bird is alone; There are many hunters after it ".^[21]

Time magazine reported about Amritsar that ^[25]:

"These days it more closely resembles a city of death. Inside the temple compound, fierce Sikh warriors wield submachine guns, guarding against encroachment by government security forces. Outside, the security men keep a nervous vigil, all too aware that the bodies of murdered comrades often turn up in the warren of tiny streets around the shrine."

[edit] Overview

The operation was launched to eliminate the Sikh militants who had taken control of the Amritsar Golden Temple Complex. The Sikh militants within the Harminder Sahib were led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and former Major-General Shabeg Singh MVC (who had resigned from the Indian Army). The command of the operation was with Maj. Gen. K.S Brar, overall in charge being Gen. Sundeji.

[edit] 20 hrs - 22 hrs

The first task was the destruction of Shabeg Singh's outer defenses. Much of this had been completed in the preliminary firing. Major-General Brar had hoped to frighten Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale into surrendering, which did not happen. These defenses included the seventeen houses which the police believed Bhindranwale's followers occupied in the alleys surrounding the Golden Temple. They were all in wireless contact with Shahbeg Singh's command post in the Akal Takht. Next to it was Brahmbuta Akhara, a large building housing the headquarters of a Sikh sect. Then there were three main towers which had been fortified to make positions from which Bhindranwale's men could fire into the Golden Temple complex. Because they rose well above the surrounding buildings, the towers were excellent observation posts for tracking the movement of Indian troops in the narrow alleys surrounding the Temple. The tops of these towers were blasted off in the preliminary artillery fire.

[edit] 22 hrs - 2330 hrs

Between 10:00 PM and 10:30 PM on June 5 commandos from 1st Battalion, the parachute regiment, were ordered to run down the steps under the clock tower on to the parikarma, or pavement, turn right and move as quickly as they could around the edge of the sacred tank to the Akal Takht. But as the paratroopers entered the main gateway to the Temple they were gunned down by militants with light machine-guns who were hiding on either side of the steps leading down to the parikarma. The few commandos who did get down the steps were driven back by a barrage of fire from the building on the south side of the sacred pool. In the control room, in a house on the opposite side of the clock-tower, Major-General Brar was waiting with his two supporting officers to hear that the commandos had established positions inside the complex^[26].

The few commandos who survived regrouped in the square outside the Temple, and reported back to Major-General Brar. He reinforced them and ordered them to make another attempt to go in. The commandos were to be followed by the 10th Battalion of the Guards commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Israr Khan. The second commando attack managed to neutralize the machine-gun posts on both sides of the steps and get down on to the parikarma. They were followed by the Guards who came under withering fire and were not able to make any progress. They radioed for permission to fire back at the buildings on the other side of the tank. That would have meant that the Golden Temple itself, which is in the middle of the tank, would have been in the line of fire. Brar initially refused, but then started to get messages from the commander of Guards reporting heavy casualties.

[edit] 2330 hrs - 01 hrs

Brar again requested tanks after an APC that had been sent in was destroyed by a rocket fired by a Sikh militant. This time his request was granted. Seven tanks rolled into the Golden Temple complex.

[edit] Aftermath

As per the affidavit filed by retired Brigadier D.V. Rao in court of Harjit Singh Khalsa, judicial magistrate first class, Amritsar, on March 19, 2007, the Indian Army suffered 83 deaths, which included four officers, four Junior Commissioned Officers and 75 other ranks. As per the affidavit, 13 Indian Army officers, 16 JCOs and 220 other ranks were injured in the operation. Indian army recorded 492 civilian deaths inside Golden Temple while 433 persons were segregated as separatists amongst 1592 persons apprehended ^{[27] [28]}. During June of 1984, brigadier D.V. Rao served as Commander of 350 Infantry Brigade based in Jalandhar, which formed part of Ninth Infantry Division of Indian Army. The unofficial casualty figures recorded by eye-witness accounts was much higher.^[29].

An unspecified number of Sikh soldiers deserted from their cantonments across the nation protesting against the operation. Some reports were heard of large scale pitched battles to bring mutineers under control. ^[30] The operation led to the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. On October 31 of that year, two of her armed Sikh security officers shot her dead^[31]. Anti-Sikh riots organized by the Congress leaders Jagdish Tytler, Sajjan Kumar and H.K.L. Bhagat, amongst others, were triggered by Mrs Gandhi's assassination. The widespread killing of Sikhs, principally in national capital Delhi and other major cities in North India, led to major divide between Sikhs and Indian Government.

General A S Vaidya, the Chief of Army Staff at the time of Operation Blue Star, was also assassinated in 1986 in Pune by Harjinder Singh Jinda and Sukhdev Singh Sukha. Both were sentenced to death, and hanged on 7 October 1992.

The army was removed from the Golden Temple later in 1984 due to popular Sikh demand ^[32]. However the militants continued to occupy the temple the temple compound time to time. On May 1, 1986, Indian paramilitary policemen moved in again inside the temple and arrested 200 militants who had occupied the Golden temple once more for three months^[33].

On May 2, 1986 the paramilitary police undertook a 12-hour operation to take control of the Golden Temple at Amritsar from several hundred militants, but almost all the major radical leaders managed to escape^[34].

In May 1988, Army troops were called in again to remove armed militants from the temple. The armed conflict during May 12-18 resulting in clearing the compound and on May 23, regular worship was resumed. On May 29, the government banned political and military use of the shrines in India. However, the militants killed the head priest on July 26, 1988. In June 1990, the government ordered the area surrounding the temple to be vacated by local resident to stop the militant activity around the temple.^[35]

[edit] Choice of time to attack by Government

The day chosen for the attack baffled Sikhs, since it was the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev, the founder of Golden Temple, and Sikhs from all over the globe visit the Golden Temple during this day. In 1736, about two and a half centuries earlier, Golden Temple was attacked by Mughal army which caused heavy casualties of civilian Sikhs ^[36]. Attack of Ahmad Shah Abdali on Golden Temple (Darbar Sahib) also came on Vaisakhi day when Sikhs gather in large numbers in Amritsar. The Sikhs view the attack by Indian Army and choice of the specific time to attack by Government as an attempt to inflict maximum casualties on Sikhs and demoralize them^[37]

The Sikh feelings were further inflamed by comments from leading newspaper editors, such as Ramnath Goenka, terming the operation as " A greater victory than win over Bangladesh, this is the greatest victory of Mrs. Gandhi".^[38]

[edit] Criticism of the Operation

The success in emptying and depoliticising the temple included damage to the temple building and the death of civilian worshipers caught in the crossfire.^[39] The use of artillery in the congested inner city of Amritsar proved deadly for people living in proximity of Golden Temple. The media blackout placed in Punjab during the time of the operation resulted in widespread doubt of official stories and the promotion of hearsay.^[40]

The Army responded to such criticisms pointing out that the militants in the temple were armed with machine guns, anti tank missiles and rocket launchers and resisted the army's attempts to dislodge them from the shrine, and appeared to have planned for a long occupation of the shrine having arranged for water from wells within the temple compound, and had stocked food provisions that would have lasted months.

The Army stated that they "answered the call of duty as disciplined, loyal and dedicated members of the Armed Forces of India....our loyalties are to the nation, the armed forces to which we belong, the uniforms we wear and to the troops we command"^[41]

The Army placed total casualties to be :

• Military : 83 killed, 248 wounded
• Militants (including civilians): 492 Killed (30 women and 5 children), 86 wounded (7 women and 4 children).^[42]

The figure was placed by independent historians at:

• Military : 700^[43]
• Militants (including civilians): 5000.^[43][44]

According to some journalists, several Sikh youths, who were not militants, present in a building adjacent to Golden Temple, were lined up and "were asked to hold up their hands and then they were shot after fifteen minutes".^[45]

The wearing out approach taken by Rajiv Gandhi five years later, in Operation Black Thunder when Sikh militants had again taken over the temple complex, was highly successful as the standoff was resolved peacefully. The army responded by stating that "no comparison is possible between the two situations, as "there was no cult figure like Bhindranwale to idolise, and professional military General like Shahbeg Singh to provide for military leadership"^[46] and "confidence of militants having been shattered by Operation Blue Star".^[46]

[edit] References

[edit] External sources