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~~~Shergill Jamsheria~~~
"" 23rd Anniversary Operation Bluestar ""
'Ghallughara Divas'
'Ghallughara Divas'
Operation Blue Star: (June 3 to June 6, 1984) was an Indian military operation at the Harimandir Sahib in Amritsar, Punjab, the holiest temple of the Sikhs to flush out Sikh separatists who were entrenched in the temple complex[1]. The operation resulted in the death of Bhindranwale and most of his followers but also resulted in damage to the temple.
Occupation of Harmandir Sahib
A crackdown on suspected separatist Sikh militants in early 1984 led militant Sikhs under the leadership of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale to fortify the Harmandir Sahib[2]. Operation Blue Star was the Indian government's response to the temple’s fortification. The attack resulted in many casualties both military and civilian. The operation also resulted in the death of Bhindranwale and most of his followers. The temple and surrounding buildings were damaged in the operation.
The operation
On June 3, a 36 hour curfew was imposed on the state of Punjab. The period coincided with the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev, a major religious holiday in Sikh calendar. When the curfew was imposed, thousands of pilgrims and worshippers were trapped in the Golden Temple complex.
Overview
Indian Army taking position outside the temple complex
The Sikh separatists within the Harmandir Sahib were led by former Major General Shabeg Singh (who resigned from the Indian Army in 1976). Gen. Brar and Lt. Gen. (later General) Sundarji leading the Indian Army to the operation believed there was no way to avoid a violent resolution. This plan has been severely criticised by many professionals.
The operation was undertaken in the cover of the night, and due to the immense firepower and sophisticated weaponry in the possession of the Indian Army, the operation was expected to be a swift one. The separatists suffered heavy casualties.
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 Bhindrenwale into surrendering, which did not happen. These defences included the seventeen houses which the police had found Bhindanwale's followers to occupy in the alleys surrounding the Golden Temple. These outposts 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.
22 hrs - 2330 hrs
It was between 10:00 and 10:30 PM on June 5 that 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, round 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
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 neutralise the machine-gun posts on either side 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, 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.
2330 hrs - 01 hrs
Brar again requested tanks and was this time granted his request. According to eyewitness accounts, as many as 13 stephine tanks were brought into the parikarma and lined up on the eastern side. Marble flooring of eastern parikarma was destroyed[citation needed]. However Gen. Brar never ordered the destruction of Akal Takht. A total of 90 shells were fired and the Bhindrawale was brought down by the Indian army. Later the Holy Temple was found to have more than 300 bullet holes.
Aftermath
Bullet and shell riddled Akal Takht building after Operation Blue Star
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 [4]. 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 Operation led to an estrangement between the Indian Central government and large portions of the Sikh community. Indira Gandhi was later assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards. The assassination triggered Anti-Sikh riots in North India. The anti sikh riots led to the killing of over 3000 sikhs in major cities. General A S Vaidya the Chief Of Army Staff at the time of Blue Star operation was also assassinated
"" NEVERFORGET 84 ""
