A Military Victory Or a Political Defeat

“It doesn’t matter whether I live or not, I have lived long enough and I’m proud of the fact that my entire life has been occupied in serving the nation. As long as I live, I’ll persist in doing the same. And when I’ll perish, I can safely say that every droplet of my blood will rejuvenate the entire country.”

These were the words by our 3rd Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi (Late) while delivering a speech in Bhubaneshwar (Odisha).

It happens sometimes that people can smell their ends a little before. The same happened with India’s 3rd Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi (Late). After delivering that speech, she was notified that her grandchildren have met a car accident in New Delhi. She left the tour midway and returned to New Delhi immediately. The next day, October 31, 1984, she was supposed to be interviewed by a well-known journalist, Peter Ustinov. When the clock struck 9:12 AM, Indira Gandhi crossed the wicket gate located between her residence and her office. She smiled at the gatekeeper (Beant Singh) and the gatekeeper, in return, began firing his revolver on her. As soon as she fell down, the gatekeeper at the other end (Satwant Singh) emptied the entire magazine of his STEN gun on her. They both took the revenge of the attack performed by the Indian Army at the Golden Temple.

On May 31, 1984, Major General Kuldeep Bulbul Brar (Commander of 9 Infantry Divisions in Meerut) received a telephone call instructing him to reach Chandigarh the next morning and address at the Western Command Headquarters. He followed the directions accordingly. After reaching the destination, he was informed that he has to command Operation BlueStar and check in to Amritsar as soon as possible as the situation has worsened. Bhindranwale and his supporters have captured the entire Golden Temple and there is no law and order in Punjab. So, he was assigned to take care of the situation to his earliest or else they might lose Punjab.

The Background

Bhindranwale was encouraged by Congress workers. The aim was to hunt for a person who will raise an issue for the Sikh community and hinder the support towards the Akali Dal. Bhindranwale started delivering provocative speeches on controversial topics and slowly targeted the Central Government. The incidents of violence seemed to be increasing in Punjab.

How the operation was carried out?

On June 4, 1984, an officer was asked to don simple attire and go inside the Golden Temple to grasp the position of Bhindranwale’s men.

On June 5, 1984, Gen. Brar briefed the participating Bravehearts about the operation. He addressed each battalion and explained to them about the present condition. He expected the battalion to fight and save the Golden Temple keeping their religions aside. He further added that if any one of them was not willing to follow the guidelines, he’ll discuss with their commanding officer and make sure no action will be taken against them. To his surprise, an officer from the 4th battalion stood up. General Brar thought he wanted to step back and calmed him by assuring that it’s not an issue. But the officer (Second Lt. Raina) corrected him by saying,” Sir, I’m not standing because I want to back off. Instead, I want to request you to allow our battalion to lead from the front and take Bhindranwale and his men down. General Brar applauded the officer’s spirit and permitted their platoon to lead.

The Second Lt. was brutally injured by the machine gun bullets. Both his legs became independent from him and he was in a pool of blood. But he didn’t seem to stop and kept crawling towards the Akal Takht (Throne of the Timeless One). Everyone was amazed by his heroism and later he was facilitated with the Ashok Chakra.

Around 10 AM, the battalions launched their attacks. The first battalion, who were in black uniforms, along with the parachute regiment commandos were instructed to advance towards the circumambulation, turn right and reach the Akal Takht as soon as possible through the coast of the lake. But the moment they ascended, they were fired with automatic weapons from both sides. Only a few commandos were able to survive this counter-attack.

To their rescue, the Lt. Col. Israr Rahim Khan led 10th battalion defuncted the machine guns harbor. But he was fired upon from the other side of the lake. Not only were the battalions being attacked from the northern and western side, but the chief attackers also popped out from the main hole and were firing their machine guns on them and ambushed somewhere inside.

When the battalion stopped proceeding, General Major Brar decided to use Armour Personal Carrier (APC). But as soon as the APC advanced towards the Akal Takht, it was eliminated by a China-manufactured rocket launcher. Looking at the Indian soldiers being suppressed by firing from all directions, General Brar was compelled to demand tanks. According to him, the halogen bulbs on the tanks would temporarily blind the attackers and they would lose their aim, allowing our soldiers to close in the Akal Takht. But the bulbs glow for a mere 20–30 seconds and get fused. The Indian battalions were running out of time and there was a visible ray of light.

So, they were ordered to utilize the secondary armament of the tank and target the upper portion of the Akal Takht. As a result, the bricks of that portion would be dislodged and people inside it would get scared and come out of the building. Later it was discovered by Retd. Gen. Jagjeet Singh Arora during his investigation that the Indian Army rained 80 cannonballs at the Akal Takht.

When did the situation get under control?

According to Major Gen. Brar, after the tanks were fired, few people came out holding white flags. He got a hint that they have outsmarted the enemies. Moreover, there was no more firing. Some of the Indian soldiers were told to enter the affected area to confirm the deaths of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and Shabeg Singh.

What happened later?

The next day, rumors spread that Bhindranwale had run away safely from the Golden Temple and went across the border to reach Pakistan. The Pakistan Government also assured that he was in their supervision and would telecast him live on TV on June 30. Gen. Brar was enquired about the same. He assured the authorities that his corpse has been identified by his family members and followers.

What loss did India endure?

About 83 soldiers were martyred in Operation Blue Star and 248 were injured. Apart from that, 492 civilians lost their lives and 1592 people were taken into custody.

The sentiments of the Sikh community, not only in India but all over the globe were deeply plagued by this unforgettable incident. Although it was a military victory, it was considered more of a political defeat. The timing, administration, and working were put into question.

Eventually, Smt. Indira Gandhi had to pay for the fatalities by losing her own life.