'Operation Blue Star' left a deep scar on Sikh psyche

Operation Blue Star is a painful memory ensconsed in the Sikhs’ psyche. Every year since 1984, Sikh organisations converge on the Golden Temple at Amritsar to relive and recount the watershed moment in Sikh history when their holiest shrine was nearly reduced to a rubble in the army operation carried out to flush out militants. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the operation, which lasted over four days between June 3-6, 1984.

The anniversary observance is dubbed as ‘Genocide Day’ as Sikh religious and radical organisations hold prayer meetings for those killed in the operation, honour family members of slain militants who are eulogised as ‘martyrs’ and indulge in sabre rattling against the Congress and by extension the Gandhi family holding them responsible for the attack on the ‘heart of Sikhism.’

A few radicals use the occasion to raise the bogey of Khalistan — a Utopian dream for a separate Sikh homeland. However, the fact remains that the Sikhs in general still think about the operation as an act of sacrilege on their holiest shrine.

The White Paper brought out by the Central government a month after the operation, listed 492 civilian casualties, including militants and pilgrims while 83 soldiers were killed during the four-day operation.

Background: A combination of political and religious factors had contributed to the build-up to the operation. A protracted agitation had been launched by the Akali Dal, for various economic, social, political and religious demands of the Sikhs which culminated in the launching of ‘Dharam Yudh Morcha’ from Aug 4, 1982.

The Akalis had been agitating for what they considered legitimate demands for transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab, inclusion of Punjabi speaking areas of Haryana into Punjab and exclusive right of Punjab over its river waters by quoting the riparian principle. The Morcha drew large street protests across Punjab resulting in thousands of Akali workers courting arrest.

Another issue that was simmering for some time and became a catalyst in future events was the religious tussle between the Nirankari sect and radical Sikh organisations — the Akhand Kirtani Jatha and Damdami Taksal, a Sikh seminary.

The matters came to a head when on Baisakhi in 1978, a clash occurred between the three groups of supporters at Amritsar resulting in the killing of 13 Sikhs and two Nirankaris which flared up tension in Punjab.The incident is said to be the fountainhead of militancy movement in Punjab, which lasted till 1992 and claimed over 25,000 lives.

The cult of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, head of the Damdami Taksal, was born out of the clashes between Nirankaris and Sikhs. Bhindranwale announced he would weigh in gold anybody who killed the Nirankari sect chief. In 1981, Baba Gurbanchan Singh was assassinated in Delhi. Bhindranwale was among those conspirators for  murder.

In a bid to evade arrest in cases of murder against him, Bhindranwale took shelter on Dec 15, 1983, at the Akal Takht, the seat of temporal authority for Sikhs within the Golden Temple, secure in the knowledge that security forces would not touch him in the sanctum sanctorum. Arms and ammunition had been stockpiled within the complex over the years.

Bhindranwale had turned into a charismatic, rabble rousing Sikh radical as he called upon Sikhs to fight for their rights. Hundreds of youths were lured by his speeches and became his followers. Bhindranwale was not averse to using arms to achieve his aim and indulging in indiscriminate killings. Gradually, the militant-backed muscle power of Bhindranwale virtually hijacked the movement launched by the Akalis for political rights. Bhindranwale added the demand of political autonomy for Punjab in the Akali morcha, which was a barely disguised demand for separate Sikh nation.

The operation: In the midst of mayhem in Punjab, the Akali dal and the Central government led by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi held many deliberations for sorting out issues related to Punjab but no settlement could be reached. The Centre considered the activities of Bhindranwale, firmly entrenched in the Golden Temple, as a major threat to peace and harmony in Punjab.

Before the launch of military operation in Punjab, all postal services and tele communications lines were snapped and a 36-hour curfew was imposed throughout the state. All rail and bus services were discontinued and total news censorship was imposed.

A large number of devotees, who had been staying at various rest houses within the complex were stuck and came in the firing line between the Army and the militants.

After four days of intense fighting involving armoured vehicles, tanks and machine guns, the army secured the complex. The Army recovered huge cache of machine guns, self loading rifles, assault rifles, rocket launchers and anti-tank grenade launchers used by militants. Bhindranwale was among those who were killed.

The Akal Takht suffered heavy damage in shelling along with many buildings in the temple complex as walls were riddled with bullet marks.

In the current scenario, there are voices among the Sikhs who advocate putting the painful incident behind. Manmohan Singh, the first Sikh Prime Minister, recently said the 1984 events were “a painful episode but cannot be kept alive for ever”. The Congress party’s impressive performance in the recent Lok Sabha election shows that the Sikhs are, by and large, ready to let bygones be bygones.