Amandeep Hindustani

Ajmer Singh Randhawa 7 June ·

Is India our home, home of Sikhs

At the time of the partition of India in 1947, the Sikhs as a community had decided to be part of India as it had been promised autonomous powers as a reward for the pivotal role it had played during the Indian independence movement. However those promises were soon backtracked upon by the Congress party when it came to power. The Sikhs were not recognized as a separate religion in the Indian constitution and instead regarded as an extension of the majority Hindu faith.

In 1947, the governor of Punjab, Mr. C.M. Trivedi, in defference to the wishes of the Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru and Sardar Patel, the Deputy Prime Minister, issued certain instructions to all the Deputy Commissioners of Indian Punjab...These were to the effect that: "without reference to the law of the land, the Sikhs in general and Sikh migrants in particular must be treated as a "criminal tribe". Harsh treatment must be meted out to them…....to the extent of shooting them dead so that they wake up to the political realities and recognize "who are the rulers and who the subjects". (Kapur Singh, Sachi Sakhi, Amritsar: SGPC, 1993, p. 4-5 ".)

Other D.C. could not have dared to tell about this letter full of prejudice against the Sikhs. It was only Kapur whose conscience was awake and dare to protest against it and paid a heavy price for. The blatant secret policy against the Sikhs continued right from the dawn of so-called independence if you read the role played by Suhrawardy, with Gandhi's blessings, who held discussions with Pakistani leaders. These dealers had the cheek to describe Sikhs, who suffered most because of the partition, as 'impossible'. S Kapur Singh speech on betrayal of Sikhs in the parliament must be on the record. It is a matter of shame that Akalis continued to have faith in Indian democracy in spite of S. Kapur Singh's strong messages.

And readers may note that there were only two Sikh Divisional Commissioners in Punjab, one Sirdar Kapur Singh ji at Kangra and the other at Gurgaon. So this circular must be noticed by other Sikh DC too but he might have ignored it but Sirdar kapur Singh ji objected to it by sending a protest letter. Kindly read the book to know more truth.

Please also read what he wrote on page 9:

"... Punjab's governor, Shree Chandu Lal trivedi, with the persmission and wishes of the deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Sardar Patel and Prime Minister shree Nehru, and with the full consent of Punjab's Home Minister, S. Swaran Singh, issued instructions to all the deputy commissioners of Punjab that they should treat all Sikhs, especially those who came from West Punjab,as cirminals. They should be dealt with all possible extreme measures such as physical torture and killing them with bullets. This should be done in such a way, on official basis without caring for Law and Justice, that Sikhs should come to their senses and know who is the ruler and who is the ruled..."

“Extracts from "The Knights of Falsehood".----The Congress is said to epitomize the ‘Brahmanical conspiracy’ that the Akalis have blamed for the consistent ‘humiliation’ and ‘persecution’ of the Sikhs. A leading Akali, Hukum Singh, who wrote in 1952: "Pandit Nehru is, to say the least, the spearhead of militant Hindu chauvinism who glibly talks about nationalism, a tyrant who eulogises democracy and a Goblian [i.e., like Goebbels] liar - in short, a political cheat, deceiver and double dealer in the services of Indian reaction."Nehru to silent the Hukam Singh i.e., Sikh voice, made him join the Congress Party, and eventually became Speaker of the Lok Sabha. But the fact remains, for all to see as reported above for the gradual decrease of the numbers of the Sikhs, in the successive census of India. The Congress has doubled up its efforts."

AND IN 1984 THE INDIAN ARMY DECLARED;

The Government Targeted Amritdhari Sikhs in 1984.

The following quote is from an Indian Army circular which was distributed in June 1984. This excerpt from the official document exposes that in fact all practicing Sikhs were considered terrorists and were targeted by the government:

“Some of our innocent countrymen were administered an oath in the name of religion to support extremists and actively participated in the act of terrorism. These people wear a miniature kirpan round their neck and are called "Amritdharis". They have to be subdued to achieve the final aim of restoring peace in the country. Any knowledge of the "Amritdharis" who are dangerous people and pledged to commit murder, arson and acts of terrorism should be immediately brought to the notice of the authorities. These people may appear harmless from outside but they are basically committed to terrorism."

https://www.facebook.com/smartrandhawa/posts/10201823460420616

I also found a circular through research. It was distributed before partition by sikh leaders. It goes something like this.

" After the British leave India and the Moslems are thrown out we need to turn our attention towards the Hindus. We need to kill them, drive them out of their homes. After this initial task is accomplished we need to destroy the heretic Nirankaris and Radhoswamis. To accomplish this Baldev Singh is contact with phoreign agencia for arms, training and funding. The sooner we ethnically cleanse the Hindus and other minorities the better it will be"

But AB has not been found of any wrongdoing by the Indian courts. The akal takht will follow shortly.

But he should play this out. Ask them to provide video and take conflicting Affadivits use that as proof to dismiss charge with cost. Counter sue for libel and slander, and go after every group in India and abroad for money.

Confiscate money, assets, property, businesses to pay for judgment.

Still got to give it him. In inter jurisdictional matters, the UN has specific rules. The host country (India) has to give the summons to AB on behalf of the United States. Good luck!

Mind you I believe the lack of economic opportunities in those days played an important but under studied role in the entire mess.

Sher

I knew you would twist it ?

Where in Punjab no , theres so much corruption there you stand up for justice , the Police torture you , frame you , lay down false allegations against you . Here in the UK yes I have.

Now you have to understand and realise , the Why question again ?

Why would a fellow Sikh kill another fellow Sikh ?

Why ?

In your VIEW the portraits are in Gurudawaras of killers, for others portraits of the Sikhs who stood up to get peoples rights

who stood up because they wanted to make a difference , who stood up because they had enough , who stood up because brothers and sisters were being killed and raped for no reason , who stood up because they were hurt from these events and wanted to make a difference.

Have you ?

Multiple ways to step up against justice. Obviously, the way you chose was wrong. It did not get anybody any further.

If you had started a peoples movement lead by knowledgeable, seasoned people instead of choosing someone with just good oratory skills the movement would have survived.

The government was more scared of your morchas then anything else.

i can hear resident khalibans squirming about this generous act of bahmans. those who have made industry out of fake randi ronas would be really embarrassed as they excel in Bahman bashing- that's their bread and butter job

I strongly suggest that Pandit Rao instead of reading gurbani while being handcuffed at gyan godri return to Hinduism and work for the Hindus. Same goes for other Brahmins like Shashi Kant and kailash satyarthi who are vocal advocates of the sikh community.

There is no respect towards Brahmins amongst the current generation of Sikhs.

50 bucks says Pandit Rao joins AAP

how about you, making such disgusting, divisive claims all the time but nothing to justify your hatred for Hindus. this video is almost 50 years old. nothing else to prove "These Hindu Jihadis are creating trouble since INDEPENDENCE" as claimed by one of your fanatic brother.

It's not 50 years old but a fairly recent one with simranjit Singh Mann.

He says that his father met with baldev Singh and Tara Singh and asked why the Sikhs are joining India and the Hindus?

And was told by Tara Singh " when the British leave then we are going to kick out these bodhi wale dhoti wales"

The plan to ethnically cleanse the Hindus was way before Indira, operation blue star.

What is that I'm hearing about some pandits holding a protest in support of the Sikhs?

Great, the Ami guy lost. Sucks for him.... Perhaps we should do a never forget 47 for the genocide of Punjabi Sufi Muslims by Sikhs... then the poor souls faced the same thing in their new home of pakistan by Gen Zia ul Haq.

why dont you have an article about your khalistani friend gurratan singh brother of khalistani jagmeet singh losing the election in brampton? keep indoctrinating the new sikh youth... none of you have the courage to do anything except talk on forums anyways.

Jagmeet Singh? LOL!

I had the opportunity to ask him some pointed questions about some of his more questionable friends. He had no answer. For my part we went around to some of the temples and told people not to vote for people like Hansra or Jagmeet Singh.

Their whole purpose is to get into India as part of a trade delegation or something and run around. Luckily, both of them cannot get in. Both may never see Punjab again.

Who gave you this figures Shiv Sena Punjab ?

Nope, I got them from the same place you get your figures.

3,000 dead, 30,000 and now 37,000 dead in Delhi.

Looking for it now. I posted it on another similar forum and was banned for it. Lol

Can't seem to find it anymore

Vaadiyan! To all Sikhs and the entire world. Shining light in an extremely troubled time.

ADDITION:

I did not have much time earlier to write about this auspicious day but I will now.

Men like Guru Nanak Dev ji are true Yug Purush's, if I may borrow a term from my own religion, men who by their mere presence in a particular age undoe the evil effects.

I'm told from my own granths that when the "shabad falls into disrepute" then the Supreme Lord takes birth to re-establish the law.

Guru Nanak was truly an incarnation of the Cosmic Energy that prevails in the universe and had all the qualities of a true Sat Guru.

In the presence of the satguru; Knowledge flourishes (Gyana raksha); Sorrow diminishes (Dukha kshaya); Joy wells up without any reason (Sukha aavirbhava); Abundance dawns (Samriddhi); All talents manifest (Sarva samvardhan).

And I think I spelled Vaadayan wrong!

Oh, and "new" intolerant. When have people like you ever been tolerant?

The fact that millions of riff raff panths run around which are often contradictory to one another without any major issue is a testament to Hinduism.

You can watch some intolerance in Syria or go back to " santjis" speeches if you want the opposite.

The article itself is funny. It admits the temple was built to commentate Guru Nanaks trip to Haridwar who was against rituals but fails to mention the current trip by these yatris themselves is ritualistic in itself.

The sikh gurus were against pilmigrages anyways and called them useless without a pure or clean heart.

Kindly scan your "pure heart" certificate and put it up, so we can let you enter.

Probably, Haridwar will get a summons or something to a court in Arkansas.

Lol

Jatt don't give land to girls, that's that.

admin cut hindus prepare for 47 for you sherni.

ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂਜੀਕਾਖਾਲਸਾ।ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂਜੀਕੀਫਤਹਿ।।

Is that a threat?

Visiting religious sites for ritualistic purposes is against the tenets of Sikhism. Therefore, the decision is correct.

Sikhs or anybody else have no place at Haridwar. That's the new intolerant Hinduism speaking. See how you like it for a while.

I have a video of simranjit Singh Mann outlining a plan by master Tara Singh way back in the 40s to drive out the Hindus after the British and Moslems were taken care of.

And to say that he was a "qualified doctor". He failed to stand up for human rights, instead joined modi and his thugs.

Did you ever stand for the human rights of the nearly 40,000 hindus and other minorities that you killed?

Introduction

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the passing of Jarnail Singh Brar, popularly known as Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, or simply Bhindranwale.

In the early 1980s, Bhindranwale led an armed movement for Sikh autonomy and died during an India army offensive (nicknamed Operation Blue Star) on the Darbar Sahib complex (also known as the Golden Temple complex).

Not many people can claim to be neutral about Bhindranwale. To his admirers, he was above all a man of his word, a rare quality among politicians.¹ To his detractors, he mostly represented the 'paranoia' and 'dangerously intolerant quality of orthodox Sikhs.'²

After Operation Bluestar, Harchand Singh Longowal, perhaps the most respected moderate Sikh leader of recent years, is said to have done a volte-face and revised his opinion of Bhindranwale overnight from 'scoundrel' to 'saint.'³

Dipankar Gupta, one of India's premier sociologists, once offered the following explanation, 'That Bhindranwale is near canonisation in the minds of many Sikhs today is because Bhindranwale's blood mingled with the blood of at least 400 pilgrims who died during Bluestar.'⁴

The fiery preacher, equally controversial in life and death, left behind several myths about himself, some made popular by well-wishers, others by detractors. The following is a countdown of the top five most enduring of the Bhindranwale fables.

Myth #5: Bhindranwale Survived Operation Bluestar and Is Alive and Well

Damdami Taksal is the influential religious school, once located in the village Bhinder⁵, where Bhindranwale was initially a student and eventually jathedar (head priest). The seminary's current jathedar, Thakur Singh, has continued to maintain that Bhindranwale is still alive.⁶

According to Lt. Gen. Kuldip Singh Brar, who commanded Operation Bluestar, '[the bodies] of Bhindranwale and Shahbeg were identified by a number of agencies including the police, the I.B. [intelligence Bureau] and militants in our custody.'⁷ Bhindranwale's brother is also reported to have identified Bhindranwale's body.⁸ Pictures of what appears to be Bhindranwale's body have been published in at least two widely circulated books.^9,10

Whereas there can be little doubt that Bhindranwale is no more, the circumstances of his final moments remain shrouded in mystery. The New York Times reported three distinct versions of Bhindranwale's death.

Veteran B.B.C. correspondent Mark Tully relates an incident during Bhindranwale's funeral. Captain Bhardwaj 'on lifting the sheet to make sure it was Bhindranwale [asked] the police why the Sant's [sant is an honorific title analogous to Saint] body was so badly battered.' A police officer replied, 'The extremists broke his bones.'¹¹

At the other end of the spectrum lies Dilbir Singh's account. Dilbir Singh was 'Public Relations Advisor at Guru Nanak Dev University for seven years [and] was with the Sant constantly from 1978 until the last week of his life.' He was also 'at that time a correspondent of the Tribune and formerly of the Patriot.' He stated, 'In the fight Bhindranwale was injured on the right side of his temple. A government doctor verified he was captured alive. He was tortured to death.'¹²

R.K. Bajaj, a correspondent for Surya magazine, is said to have confirmed that 'he had personally seen a photograph of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in army custody.'¹³

Myth #4: Bhindranwale Was a Man of Religion Without Political Ambition

Bhindranwale made repeated claims to the effect that he had no interest in political power, 'If I ever become president of the Akali Dal or the S.G.P.C. [Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee], an M.L.A., a government minister, or a member of parliament . . . I shall deserve a shoe-beating by you.'^14,15

In contrast, we have the following examples of Bhindranwale's abundant political aspirations year after year:

• During the S.G.P.C. elections of 1979, 'Of the forty candidates Bhindranwale put up [for a total of 140 seats], all but four were defeated.'¹⁶
  
• 'For all his protestations that he was not a politician, Bhindranwale campaigned actively for the Congress in three constituencies' during the 1980 general elections.¹⁷
  
• During the 1981 elections to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (D.S.G.P.C.), 'in an attempt to divide Akali votes, the Congress (I) had asked the A.I.S.S.F. [All India Sikh Students Federation] to put up candidates for the Delhi gurdwaras whose campaign was led by Sant Bhindranwale. No A.I.S.S.F. candidate won.'¹⁸
  
• At one point in 1983, the Talwandi-Tohra faction of the Akali Dal got a section of the S.G.P.C. to recommend Bhindranwale for the position of jathedar of the Akal Takht.¹⁹
  
• According to India Today, in the months leading up to Operation Bluestar about a third of Longowal's S.G.P.C. members and district Akali Dal presidents had 'defected' to Bhindranwale.²⁰
  
• The Darbar Sahib's Public Relations Officer (P.R.O.) Narinderjit Singh Nanda recalled, 'Bhindranwale told me that within thirty days he was taking over the S.G.P.C.'²¹

However, given his poor record in electoral politics and a disinclination to play by the rules, he had little incentive to seek formal political office. He was already 'the uncrowned emperor.'²² As articulated byTime magazine, 'Bhindranwale had become so popular he had usurped the Akalis' authority.'²³ He wielded more informal power than all of Punjab's formal political players combined and liked the idea of 'keeping all factions chasing his favor [whereby] no faction made a move in Punjab without considering the response it would draw from Bhindranwale.'²⁴

Bhindranwale operated 'from inside a whale,'²⁵ seemingly without concern for other points of view. 'In this independence lay much of Bhindranwale's appeal.'²⁶ Yet, the same aloofness also represented his most significant weakness: a failure to participate in the democratic process.

'Villagers came to him with their problems, Bhindranwale pronounced judgments and called frightened policemen on the telephone to instruct them on how a matter was to be settled.'²⁷

Subhash Kirpekar was 'perhaps the last journalist to meet the lion in his den.' During the interview Bhindranwale responded thus to a question on succession planning, 'It is not an elective post. I think whosoever attains the status of God will come up as my successor.'²⁸

Myth #3: Bhindranwale Did Not Demand Khalistan

In the absence of a universally accepted definition of the term 'Khalistan,' the usage here is consistent with its origin wherein Dr. Vir Singh Bhatti envisioned it in 1940 as a 'theocratic' monarchy, which would by definition be inconsistent with the Indian Constitution.²⁹

Bhindranwale's standard response to the question of Khalistan, an independent Sikh state, was noncommittal: 'we are not in favor of Khalistan nor are we against it.'³⁰ He often also clarified that if Khalistan came about, 'We won't reject it. We shall not repeat the mistake of 1947.'³¹ To that he added, 'if the Indian Government invaded the Darbar Sahib complex, the foundation for an independent Sikh state will have been laid.'³²

The book Fighting for Faith and Nation: Dialogues with Sikh Militants by Cynthia Keppley Mahmood has received wide acceptance among radical Sikhs. In the book, Harpal Singh recalls a meeting with Bhindranwale during which the preacher remarked, 'staying in India would mean the genocide of the Sikhs.'³³ The implication that anything short of a separate state would spell eventual disaster for the Sikhs amounted to an implicit vote for Khalistan. On other occasions Bhindranwale was more explicit, 'Frankly, I don't think the Sikhs can live with or within India.'³⁴

The Dal Khalsa, responsible for hoisting a Khalistan flag at a Sikh convention on March 20, 1982 at Anandpur Sahib, were seen forming a protective ring around Bhindranwale when, in 1981, he was holding the police at bay at Chowk Mehta in an attempt to avoid arrest.³⁵ Although 'Bhindranwale was never openly associated with the Dal Khalsa,' most observers regarded it as 'Bhindranwale's party.'³⁶

In early 1983, India's intelligence is said to have obtained a copy of a letter from Bhindranwale to Jagjit Singh Chauhan in which he promised full support for Khalistan.³⁷

Finally, while we're on the subject, we might as well also cover one other related myth, i.e. that Khalistan has never had any substantial support amongst Sikhs in India. In an interview with B.B.C. correspondent Mark Tully just days before his death, S.G.P.C. President Gurcharan Singh Tohra answered a question about his personal views on Khalistan by admitting that 'some personal desires are better kept hidden.'³⁸ According to Ved Marwah, a former senior police officer on Indira Gandhi's 'select committee for monitoring Punjab affairs,' a majority of the Sikhs supported separatism in the wake of Operation Bluestar.³⁹ In a recent interview,⁴⁰ Lt. Gen. Kuldip Singh Brar estimated that if Khalistan had been declared prior to Operation Bluestar, 'a large section of the Punjab police might have crossed over to support Bhindranwale.'

Overly optimistic claims by pro-India commentators that the Sikhs have 'moved on' are consistently belied by informed parties who note, '[Operation Bluestar] has not been forgotten, and you [the visitor] will find many people in Amritsar keen to explain the Sikh side of the story.'⁴¹

Myth #2: Only a Tiny Minority of Sikhs Revere Bhindranwale as a Martyr

In Khushwant Singh's words, '[Operation Bluestar] gave the movement for Khalistan its first martyr in Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.'⁴²

In 1985, Harkishan Singh Surjeet had optimistically announced that Bhindranwale's martyr status would only be 'temporary.'⁴³

However, on this day last year, Joginder Singh Vedanti, the jathedar of the Akal Takht, an approximate Sikh counterpart to the Vatican, formally declared Bhindranwale a 'martyr' and awarded his son, Ishar Singh, a siropa (robe of honor).⁴⁴ The function was organized by the S.G.P.C., 'a sort of parliament of the Sikhs.'⁴⁵

The Encyclopedia of Sikhism, edited by Harbans Singh, a widely respected scholar of Sikh studies, describes Bhindranwale as 'a phenomenal figure of modern Sikhism.'⁴⁶

Bhindranwale's posters and speeches are among the 'most popular' items at Punjab's rural fairs, held on occasions such as the Hola Mohalla festival.⁴⁷

Gurtej Singh Brar, a former I.A.S. officer and S.G.P.C. National Professor of Sikhism, was suspended from the I.A.S. for making the following statement: 'The Sikh nation theory has been current among the Sikhs since the time of Guru Nanak. There should be others like Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale to lead the Sikhs and take up their cause of righteousness and truth.'⁴⁸

Several North American gurdwaras prominently display Bhindranwale's pictures at entrances and in langar (community kitchen) halls. This writer has personally witnessed the phenomenon at gurdwaras in Detroit, Michigan and Toronto, Ontario (see picture).

In the words of Vir Sanghvi, one of India's leading political commentators, '[bhindranwale] remains a martyr in the eyes of many Sikhs. Even today, rare is the Sikh politician who will dare to call him what he was: a fanatic and a murderer.'⁴⁹

Myth #1: Bhindranwale Was Not a Terrorist

In 1985, Citizens for Democracy (C.F.D.), founded by Jayaprakash Narayan and chaired by the noted civil libertarian Justice V.M. Tarkunde, produced a report on the Punjab crisis. The report, banned in India because of its strong indictment of the state, has received wide acceptance within the diaspora Sikh community despite its acknowledgement of 'Bhindranwale's role in inciting violence.'⁵⁰

Violent thoughts seemed second nature to Bhindranwale. He often made extremely cruel remarks with utmost sincerity, 'If a true Sikh drinks, he should be burnt alive.'⁵¹ Tavleen Singh discovered that in Bhindranwale's darbar (court), 'concepts like non-violence were mocked and sneering remarks made about Gandhi.'⁵² Perhaps Khushwant Singh said it best, 'He well understood that hate was a stronger passion than love.'⁵³

Although the 'mad monk'⁵⁴ was politically astute enough to recant vicious statements made in the heat of the moment, it is instructive to note just how bellicose he was when aroused.

• Harmit Singh Batra was in the Darbar Sahib complex on April 13, 1978 and quotes Bhindranwale, 'We will not allow this Nirankari convention to take place. We are going to march there and cut them to pieces!'⁵⁵
  
• Following the clash with the Nirankaris on April 13, 1978, the 'Sant' and his cohorts were always armed. Bhindranwale often publicly recited his mantra, 'being armed, there is no sin greater than not seeking justice.'⁵⁶ And they perceived plenty of injustice all around, which they rectified with the use of illegal force.
  
• After the assassination of the Nirankari leader Gurbachan Singh on April 24, 1980, Bhindranwale is universally acknowledged to have remarked that if he ever met Ranjit Singh, the suspected killer, he would weigh him in gold (i.e. reward him with his weight in gold).⁵⁷
  
• On October 22, 1982, Bhindranwale made a public statement threatening the 'political and physical end' of anyone who didn't press for the full implementation of the Anandpur Sahib Resolution.⁵⁸
  
• On August 17, 1983, Bhindranwale asked Sikh youth to buy a motorcycle and a revolver and threatened to kill 5,000 Hindus in an hour if the police delayed the minibus he had sent to fetch Amrik Singh who had just been released from police custody.⁵⁹
  
• During a speech on September 20, 1983, Bhindranwale stated clearly that he would 'embrace' Sikhs who exacted revenge upon those who were guilty of torturing, killing, or humiliating Sikhs. He said, 'Getting away from there is your job, protecting you here [in the Darbar Sahib complex] is mine.'⁶⁰
  
• On November 17, 1983, Bhindranwale bluntly demanded 'that all Hindus should leave Punjab.'⁶¹
  
• During a public speech delivered on May 24, 1984 at the Darbar Sahib complex, Bhindranwale openly admitted his complicity in the gruesome beheading of Surinder Singh Chinda for his role in the elimination of Bhindranwale's leading hit man, Surinder Singh Sodhi.⁶²

Even Bhindranwale's staunchest supporters only go as far as stating, 'Bhindranwale consistently opposed violence against any innocent person.'⁶³ The autocratic Bhindranwale had assumed singular jurisdiction over the guilt and innocence of a good portion of India's citizens. And to him lethal violence was a justified means of punishment for those whom he considered culpable. He was the legislature, executive and judiciary all rolled into one with complete disregard for the democratic concept of the separation of powers. The result was nothing short of 'ethnic cleansing.'⁶⁴

Dilbir Singh (see above) related the following account of how masterfully Bhindranwale ordered the killing of Lala Jagat Narain, proprietor-editor of the Hind Samachar group of newspapers:

• And in one edition Lala had written in an editorial comment that Taura [Tohra, then president of the S.G.P.C.] and Ajnoha [then jathedar of the Akal Takht] are traitors. On that day in a great fury he [bhindranwale] called upon someone to read aloud what Lala had said. There was quiet. 'Our turban has been torn from our heads,' he proclaimed. Then one of his followers asked, 'What are your orders?' Again in anger, he said 'Orders, you need orders! What orders? Are you blind?' Now you see he did not say anything. And they said it. 'O.K.' meaning thereby, we'll finish this man. So, then, 3-4 days later, Lala was coming from Ludhiana and they fired upon him.⁶⁵

According to Chand Joshi, a veteran correspondent for The Hindustan Times, 'In the Nirankari Baba murder case, for instance, the C.B.I. claimed to have pin-pointed four suspects including Jarnail Singh Brar alias Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. The arrest warrants had been given to the Punjab police but were not served because of 'orders from the highest quarters.' '⁶⁶

It is worth noting, 'The decision to release Bhindranwale was taken by the [indira Gandhi and Zail Singh] government. It was not the verdict of a court.'⁶⁷

Finally, it is impossible to accept that the people closest to Bhindranwale could consistently perpetrate monstrous violence without his endorsement.

• Nachhatar Singh, arrested by the police for the murder of Lala Jagat Narain, is said to have fingered Bhindranwale for ordering the killing.⁶⁸
  
• The hijackers of an Indian Airlines plane on September 20, 1981 claimed to be members of the Dal Khalsa and demanded the release of Bhindranwale, who had been arrested in connection with the murder of Lala Jagat Narain.⁶⁹ In a speech, Bhindranwale 'praised his young lieutenants' for the hijacking.⁷⁰
  
• On July 18, 1982, a police party from the Beas Thana in Amritsar district stopped a jeep. Most of the occupants were residents of Bhindranwale's gurdwara Gurdarshan Parkash at Chowk Mehta. They attacked the police and were arrested. No case was initiated.⁷¹
  
• The next day, Amrik Singh, Bhindranwale's most trusted lieutenant, and six close associates of Bhindranwale, including Bhindranwale's personal driver Kulwant Singh, were arrested for an attempt on the life of Joginder Singh Sandhu, the Nirankari Mandal's propaganda secretary.⁷²

Concluding Remarks

In closing, here is a sampling of additional points to ponder:

• Whereas 'nobody was ever refused an interview,'⁷³ he refused to surrender to anyone but sufficiently orthodox Sikh policemen.⁷⁴
  
• While he professed the highest standards of Sikhism, he practiced gender discrimination.⁷⁵
  
• Although he viewed modernity as evil, he had no compunctions about using modern firearms.
  
• Whereas many Sikhs regard him as a 'messiah,'⁷⁶ his 1984 prophecy failed to materialize: 'In the next ten years Sikhs will get their liberation. This will definitely happen.'⁷⁷

Bhindranwale might well be the most polarizing figure in Sikh history. This essay acknowledges his numerous advocates but makes no apologies for expounding on the preacher's flaws. To the extent that the Sikhs revere him as a prophet and a martyr, his contradictions are likely to be emblematic of the paradoxes that inflict the Sikh community as whole. To grapple with Bhindranwale's inconsistencies is to critically evaluate the state of Sikhism today.

Surain Singh Dhanoa was the senior-most bureaucrat in Punjab during the years immediately following Operation Bluestar.⁷⁸ His viewpoint is representative of the denial that causes many in India to place responsibility for Operation Bluestar squarely at Bhindranwale's doorstep. According to Dhanoa, 'There would have been no Operation Bluestar [if] Bhindranwale had moved out of the Golden Temple complex.'⁷⁹

However, Dhanoa and others fail to acknowledge New Delhi's primary role in the brinkmanship and lost opportunities prior to Operation Bluestar. Instances include the critical roles played by Sanjay Gandhi and Zail Singh of the ruling Congress party in 'promoting' Bhindranwale as a counterweight to the Akali Dal,⁸⁰ the government's failure to arrest Bhindranwale even when he 'openly flouted the law' while touring New Delhi with an entourage 'brandishing illegal arms,'⁸¹ and Indira Gandhi's propensity for backing out of agreements (at one point 'three times in six months'⁸²).⁸³

Responsibility for Operation Bluestar and the 'dark decade'⁸⁴ that followed (mid-1980s to mid-1990s) ought to be apportioned in proportion to the formal political powers and electoral mandates enjoyed by the parties involved:

• one, the various New Delhi administrations, mostly Congress-led;
  
• two, the various governments in Punjab, led by the Akali Dal, Congress, or New Delhi-appointed governors;
  
• three, the S.G.P.C., also known as the Sikh parliament;
  
• and four, at the very bottom of the culpability scale, those, such as Bhindranwale, who held informal power only to the extent permitted by the inability and unwillingness of those wielding formal power to solve Punjab's problems.

Notes and References

1. Mahmood, Cynthia Keppley, Fighting for Faith and Nation: Dialogues with Sikh Militants (Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1996), p. 69.
2. Mahmood, pp. 241-243.
3. Tully, Mark, 'After Blue Star,' Part 2, B.B.C., June 2004
4. Singh, Patwant and Harji Malik (editors), Punjab: The Fatal Miscalculation (New Delhi: Patwant Singh, 1985), p. 219.
5. Singh, Khushwant, A History of the Sikhs, Volume 2: 1839-1988 (New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1999), p. 328.
6. Kaur, Naunidhi, Frontline, June 23, 2001 (http://www.flonnet.com/fl1813/18130360.htm).
7. Brar, Lt. Gen. K.S., Operation Blue Star: The True Story (New Delhi: U.B.S.P.D., 1993), p. 114.
8. Akbar, M.J., India: The Siege Within: Challenges to a Nation's Unity (New Delhi: U.B.S.P.D., 1996), p. 196.
9. Nayar, Kuldip and Khushwant Singh, Tragedy of Punjab: Operation Bluestar and After (New Delhi: Vision Books, 1984), p. 97.
10. Tully, Mark and Satish Jacob, Amritsar: Mrs Gandhi's Last Battle (New Delhi: Rupa & Co, 1985), p. 177.
11. Tully, p. 182.
12. Pettigrew, Joyce, The Sikhs of the Punjab: Unheard Voices of State and Guerrilla Violence (London: Zed Books, 1995), pp. 34-35, 51.
13. Jaijee, Inderjit Singh, Politics of Genocide: Punjab (1984-1998) (Delhi: Ajanta Publications, 1999), p. 59.
14. Sandhu, Ranbir Singh, Struggle for Justice: Speeches and Conversations of Sant Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale (Dublin, Ohio: Sikh Educational & Religious Foundation, 1999), p. 285.
15. Tully, p. 113.
16. Singh, Khushwant, p. 332.
17. Tully, p. 61.
18. Joshi, Chand, Bhindranwale: Myth and Reality (New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House, 1984), p. 85.
19. Joshi, p. 130.
20. India Today, May 15, 1984, pp. 30-31, cited in Paul Wallace and Surendra Chopra, Political Dynamics and Crisis in Punjab, (Amritsar: Guru Nanak Dev University, 1988), p. 39.
21. Tully, p. 202.
22. Joshi, p. 26.
23. Lopez, Laura, 'India, Diamonds and the Smell of Death,' Time, June 25, 1984.
24. Jeffrey, Robin, What's Happening to India?, Second Edition (New York: Holmes & Meier, 1994), pp. 146-147.
25. Mahmood, p. 249.
26. Jeffrey, p. 142.
27. Jeffrey, p. 168.
28. Kaur, Amarjit, et al, The Punjab Story (New Delhi: Roli Books International, 1984), pp. 76-78.
29. Grewal, J.S., 'Sikh Identity, the Akalis and Khalistan,' in J.S. Grewal and Indu Banga, Punjab in Prosperity and Violence: Administration, Politics and Social Change 1947-1997 (Chandigarh: Institute of Punjab Studies, 1998), p. 65. This paragraph was added in response to a clarification sought by Hari Singh Khalsa of Española, New Mexico.
30. Sandhu, p. vi.
31. Sandhu, p. lvi.
32. Sandhu, p. lvii.
33. Mahmood, p. 128.
34. Jaijee, p. 34.
35. Joshi, p. 34.
36. Tully, p. 60.
37. Joshi, p. 129.
38. Tully, Mark, 'After Blue Star,' Part 3, British Broadcasting Corporation, June 2004.
39. Jaijee, p. 30.
40. Rediff, June 3, 2004.
41. Pippa de Bruyn and Keith Bain, Frommer's India (Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2004), p. 387.
42. Singh, Khushwant, p. 378.
43. Interview with Nikhil Laxman of The Illustrated Weekly of India, reproduced in Samiuddin, Abida, editor, The Punjab Crisis: Challenge and Response, (New Delhi: Mittal Publications, 1985).
44. The Times of India and Outlook, June 7, 2003; Don't React, Editorial, The Indian Express, June 9, 2003.
45. Singh, Khushwant, p. 214.
46. Singh, Harbans (editor-in-chief), The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism, Volume II (Patiala: Punjabi University, 1996), p. 352.
47. Jolly, Asit, Reporting from Chandigarh, Punjab, B.B.C., March 31, 2002 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1904217.stm).
48. Joshi, p. 1.
49. Imprint magazine, February 1986, cited in Sandhu, p. xl.
50. Rao, Amiya, et al, Report to the Nation: Oppression in Punjab (Columbus, Ohio: Sikh Religious and Educational Trust, 1986), p. 16.
51. Akbar, p. 181.
52. Kaur, Amarjit, et al, p. 39.
53. Singh, Khushwant, pp. 330-331.
54. Joshi, inside front cover jacket.
55. Tully, p. 59.
56. Sandhu, p. vi.
57. Sandhu, p. vi.
58. Joshi, p. 120.
59. Joshi, p. 144; Sandhu, p. 256.
60. Sandhu, p. 286.
61. Joshi, pp. 148-149.
62. Sandhu, p. 471.
63. Sandhu, p. xxi.
64. Cole, W. Owen and Piara Singh Sambhi, The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices, Second Fully Revised Edition, (Brighton: Sussex Academic Press, 1998), p. 176.
65. Pettigrew, p. 34.
66. Joshi, p. 78.
67. Tully, p. 69.
68. Joshi, p. 88.
69. Joshi, p. 91.
70. Juergensmeyer, Mark, Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence, Third Edition, Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003, p. 100.
71. Joshi, p. 115.
72. Joshi, p. 115.
73. Singh, Tavleen in Amarjit Kaur, et al, p. 34.
74. Joshi, p. 34.
75. This is a reference to Bhindranwale's insistence that Indira Gandhi, being a woman, should be the one to visit him for negotiations.
76. Singh, Tavleen in Amarjit Kaur, et al, p. 41.
77. Akbar, M.J., India: The Siege Within: Challenges to a Nation's Unity (New Delhi: U.B.S.P.D.), 1985, p. 185, cited in Harjot Oberoi's essay 'Sikh Fundamentalism: Translating History into Theory' inFundamentalisms and the State: Remaking Polities, Economies, and Militance edited by Martin E. Marty and R. Scott Appleby (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993), p. 268.
78. Surain Singh Dhanoa, an Indian Administrative Service (I.A.S.) officer from the Bihar cadre, served as chief secretary of Punjab until mid-1985 when he was appointed as senior advisor to the governor of Punjab, India Today, May 31, 1985, p. 17.
79. Dhanoa, S.S., 'Memorial to Bluestar,' The Tribune, June 15, 2005.
80. Tully, p. 60.
81. Tully, p. 70.
82. Harkishan Singh Surjeet, quoted in Tully, p. 91.
83. The author wishes to acknowledge the assistance of Jagpal Singh Tiwana, a leader of the Sikh community in Halifax (Nova Scotia, Canada), in framing this argument via his comments on Sikh-Diaspora, Yahoo! Groups, June 17, 2005.
84. Grewal, Manraj, Dreams After Darkness: A Search for a Life Ordinary Under the Shadow of 1984 (New Delhi: Rupa & Co, 2004), p. 1.

Corruption is one of the few disciplines taught in schools in India. I think they start teaching the fundamentals of corruption from kindergarten. They don't teach math or geography like they do in other countries. In fact, everyone leaves school as an expert in corruption.

If only they could teach in their schools how to establish a deep long abiding relationship with nature such as the actual trees, the bushes, the flowers and the grass and the fast moving clouds..... there would never be any need to slaughter another human being for any reason whatsoever. Sadly, they don't teach that. They only teach how to hate and judge plus how to be corrupt. I wonder if they offer PHDs in corruption....

You are truly a brahmgyani now.

Lot of work to do. Good start though.

Thats what we get for letting all these dharams, panths, religions and sects succeed and prosper in India. Even if it cost us followers, we still allowed them. And today they are actively conspiring against that same dharam.

Sher,

The problem with prosecuting these institutions comes from the Hindus themselves, and their leaders. We are told to be quiet, move on and forget about it.I have seen very few Hindu leaders say anything about this issue.

I would hold all these groups responsible. Sue them out of their pants on behalf of hindus, nirankaris, moderate sikhs, police officers and their families, and the victims of Air India.

Punjab for the longest time was paying back the Central Government for the cost of operations. It ran into the hundreds of millions. But that was forgiven as well by IK Gujral (a PH himself). Go figure!

I though jazzy bains was your hero because you look like him.

Parcharaks are a dime a dozen. Ahh the beauty of India , even morons have freedom to speak.

Well, at least your article admits violations against minorities

I wouldn't classify khalistanis as Sikhs. Real sikh warriors fight face to face, and don't throw bombs into crowded markets.

The PH should be holding sikh institutions responsible for the massacres of Hindus and others. My tax money in Punjab is already going to support the lazy jatt farmer.