British involvement in Golden Temple raid?

BBC News: British involvement in Golden Temple raid?

A Labour MP has told BBC Asian Network he has seen documents that show Margaret Thatcher's government assisted the Indian government in the controversial raid on the golden temple in Amritsar in 1984.

Tom Watson, MP for West Bromwich East says the documents have only just been released after 30 years and he's shocked by what he's seen.

He spoke to Chetan Pathak.

BBC Asian Network - Asian Network Reports, British involvement in Golden Temple raid?



Documents prove British Special Air Service (SAS) involvement in the planning phases of horrific invasion of Harmandir Sahib by the Indian Army on June 1984!!
UK had helped India to prepare June 1984 attack on Sikhs, reveals Secret British documents released after 30 years |





Tom Watson Labour MP writes on his blog:' The ‘Stop Deportations’ web site carries “Top Secret and Personal” documents purporting to come from the National Archives and recently made public under the 30 year rule for Cabinet papers. The claim that the British Government colluded with the government of India over Operation Blue Star, the raid on the Golden Temple in Amritsar, will cause huge upset and offence to many British Sikhs.

I’ve only seen the documents this morning and am told there are others that have been withheld. This is not good enough. It is not unreasonable to ask for an explanation about the extent of British military collusion with the government of Indira Gandhi.

In the year when Sikhs commemorate their role in the centenary of World War I and mourn for loved ones lost in the events of 1984, this latest revelation will be deeply felt.

I am writing to the Foreign Secretary about this matter and will raise it in the House of Commons. I expect a full explanation.'

The Army placed total casualties at:
Civilians: 492 dead
Military: 136 killed and 220 wounded.
Unofficial casualty figures were much higher.Some suggest that civilian casualties numbered 20,000.

A link to the documents in the collection:

INDIA. UK/Indian relations; part 3 | The National Archives

The blog by Phil where it first appeared:

http://stopdeportations.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/sikh_community-23-feb-1983.jpg

The legend Tom Watson MP Labour Blog and comments:

Did Britain help India plan the raid on the Golden Temple? | Tom Watson MP

Koi kisee ka sagaa nahi.


ਕਲੀ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਜਿੰਨਾਂ ਦਾ ਅਉਤਾਰੁ ॥
In this Dark Age, says Nanak, the DEMONS have taken birth

ਪਤਾ ਪਤਾ ਸਿੰਘਾ ਦਾ ਵੈਰੀ

British PM Cameron orders probe into SAS-Operation Bluestar link

Prime Minister David Cameron Monday night ordered an inquiry after Sikh groups reacted with fury over newly released documents revealing that the British elite force, SAS, had advised India on flushing out Sikh militants months before Operation Bluestar in June 1984.

The documents, undigitised so far, were discovered by Phil Miller, a researcher at charity organisation Corporate Watch, and were immediately seized upon by Labour MP Tom Watson and several Sikh groups, who called on the Cameron government for a full inquiry.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "These events led to a tragic loss of life and we understand the very legitimate concerns that these papers will raise. The prime minister has asked the cabinet secretary to look into this case urgently and establish the facts".

He added: "The PM and the foreign secretary were unaware of these papers prior to publication. Any requests today for advice from foreign governments are always evaluated carefully with full ministerial oversight and appropriate legal advice."

National Archives sources told HT that the document was part of a cache of documents related to Margaret Thatcher’s tenure as prime minister released earlier this month, and that the specific file was related to "Thatcher's involvement in negotiating British arms sales to India".

The Network of Sikh Organisations (NSO), headed by Lord Indarjit Singh, said last night that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) had been in contact with him, and that it had "readily accepted the offer of support from Lord Singh to support any investigation".

Gurmel Singh, secretary-general of Sikh Council UK, : "I am shocked and disappointed that there could have been any involvement by the UK Government and armed forces in planning the attack on the Golden Temple Complex including Sri Harmandir Sahib and Sri Akal Takhat Sahib."

He added: "Thousands of innocent men, women and children were killed in the attack which took place on one of the holiest days in the Sikh calendar. As well as loss of life, buildings and property was destroyed and the historical Sikh reference library was ransacked. This is and remains one of the darkest episodes in Sikh history."

Calling for an urgent enquiry into the British government’s involvement in the events of 1984, including a full disclosure of all documentation, Singh said he wanted to "know what else were the UK Government saying and doing over all that time".

Chair of Indian Affairs Sub-Committee of Sikh Council UK, Gurdial Singh Atwal said, "The Sikh community is this year commemorating the 30th anniversary of the events of 1984. We are also proudly commemorating the 100th anniversary of Sikh involvement and sacrifices in World War I".

He added: "As proud and loyal British Sikhs it is a matter of great offense and distress that a UK Government could have been involved in planning an attack on our beloved Sri Harmandir Sahib. This involvement has been hidden for too long and as British Sikhs we now demand to know the whole truth."

Labour MP Tom Watson said: "It is not unreasonable to ask for an explanation about the extent of British military collusion with the government of Indira Gandhi. In the year when Sikhs commemorate their role in the centenary of World War I and mourn for loved ones lost in the events of 1984, this latest revelation will be deeply felt".

He added: "I am writing to the Foreign Secretary about this matter and will raise it in the House of Commons. I expect a full explanation".

singh-a-lion said:

ਪਤਾ ਪਤਾ ਸਿੰਘਾ ਦਾ ਵੈਰੀ

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so true bro !

Use #TruthAbout1984 to tweet- Special Report - MUST WATCH and SHARE! Secret documents revealing the UK government's link to Operation Bluestar, the 1984 attack on the Golden Temple in Amritsar, have come to light. Indira Gandhi requested Margaret Thatcher for an SAS officer to give military advice in Feb 1984, 4 months prior to the massacre in June 1984. Why are Sikhs feeling back-stabbed? What questions need to be answered?
Join us in pressuring for a Parliamentary enquiry into this and to ask questions about this from those that may have known about this. USE #TruthAbout1984 so we can get this trending. Please SHARE WIDELY.

Ex- UK Army Sikh responds to Thatcher & British SAS link to 1984 Bluestar Golden Temple in Amritsar - YouTube

Today's Developments on the discovery of the British Link in the 1984 Operation Blue Star.
1) Pat Mcfadden and Tom Watson question British PM
2) Letter written by Margaret Thatcher to Indira Gandhi just days after 1984.

Prime Minister David Cameron - Message to the Sikh community.
150114 Breaking News - Prime Minister David Cameron's message to the Sikh community. - YouTube

sorry I did not go through the entire letter or the youtube link but how exactly did British aid the Congress govt in 1984 incident??

LEICESTER MERCURY NEWS ARTICLE FROM YESTERDAY

✰ Sparkles ✰ said:

sorry I did not go through the entire letter or the youtube link but how exactly did British aid the Congress govt in 1984 incident??

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This is according to newly released official documents.
The documents show that a British SAS officer helped the Indian authorities come up with a plan, Operation Blue Star, to remove Sikh s from the Golden Temple

The letter says: “The Indian authorities recently sought British advice over a plan to remove Sikh s from the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

“The Foreign Secretary decided to respond favourably to the Indian request and, with the Prime Minister’s agreement, an SAS officer has visited India and drawn up a plan which has been approved by Mrs Gandhi.

Prime Minister David Cameron's message to the Sikh community - YouTube

|The papers, seen by Labour MP Tom Watson, include a letter from a British government official disclosing India’s request for British help, dated 23 February 1984.
that prove wrong to people those says that raid was planned shortly.india was planning to attack Amritsar from last months,but still they chose a 4-5 june to attack..when people gather to remember guru Arjun dev ji..

Yaar Punjabi said:

|The papers, seen by Labour MP Tom Watson, include a letter from a British government official disclosing India’s request for British help, dated 23 February 1984.
that prove wrong to people those says that raid was planned shortly.india was planning to attack Amritsar from last months,but still they chose a 4-5 june to attack..when people gather to remember guru Arjun dev ji..

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that prove one more point that it was not an attack to flush the extremist out of Golden Temple Complex, it was an attack on Sikh Psyche so that Sikhs can never raise a voice against Indian govt. and should live silently (in diplomatic sense read this word as peacefully).

P.S: There is always peace in cremation home or mortuary, does that mean life is flourishing there??

india was not planning to attack since last few months..rather india was planning it since last few decades ......it was a huge blunder by india .... as bhindranwala icon is now the boosting agent for sikhs and would be regarded as legend if not already

Yaar Punjabi said:

|The papers, seen by Labour MP Tom Watson, include a letter from a British government official disclosing India’s request for British help, dated 23 February 1984.
that prove wrong to people those says that raid was planned shortly.india was planning to attack Amritsar from last months,but still they chose a 4-5 june to attack..when people gather to remember guru Arjun dev ji..

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Bhindrawala had occupied and was fortifying the temple since 1982.

Blue star was a blunder though, the situation was much better handled with Black thunder.

Dhillon said:

Bhindrawala had occupied and was fortifying the temple since 1982.

Blue star was a blunder though, the situation was much better handled with Black thunder.

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so ..? temple had been fortified 100 times before he did ...in future sikhs can do it again ...if ever needed ..
blue star ,,,,,with the availability of internet and free media...is just doing the opposite of what government intended ...plus it drastically declined the spirit of nationalism (patriotism) in sikhs ......and india is facing the consequences ......bhindranwala would grow bigger and bigger with the passage of time

And how did it go the previous 100 times Bhindrawala must have taken some positive cues from history.

Dhillon said:

And how did it go the previous 100 times Bhindrawala must have taken some positive cues from history.

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Bhindrawala has got back your forum so many threads and replies, at least respect him for that.

Pwned!!

Dhillon said:

And how did it go the previous 100 times Bhindrawala must have taken some positive cues from history.

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Hor singha ne othe boonge amb choopan nu banaye c ??..... ranjit singh ton pehle ee quile babdi hu di c....fer ranjit singh vele sehar di h8 quile bandi karti ...plus darbar di.....fer late 1800s vich khatam keeti....under british rule..... guru hargobind saab ne v fortification keeti c ...

well it didnt went well without the fortification either ... sikhs or khalsa in specific is not a saint...but rather a saint solider .
and it was not for the first time sikhs were going through something like this ....siege of anandpur for two years ...and then chamkaur ..and further then garhi gurdas nangal ....instead of bhindranwala ...indian goverment should have taken some clues ....
in next 50 years ... bhindrawala would be considered as prestigious as baba deep singh if not more..... both heads of same institution
angreji maaf lol