Operation Bluestar

Well, today is marked as the shameful day when the OPERATION BLUESTAR was ordered by Indira Gandhi, Indian Prime Minister. Shameful, because many innocent men, women and kids were killed in this massacre though it was targeted at militants only. If you are an Indian and you don't know a thing about Operation Bluestar..........then you should ask your parents about it. They will surely tell the sorrow though which the whole nation passed especially the Sikh Community.

History (Src:- Wikipedia)

Src:- outlookindia.com

Operation Bluestar was called on 3 June, 1984 and continued till 6th June. Indian Military Forces were ordered by Indira Gandhi to remove the Sikh separatists, led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who were amassing weapon inside the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Indira Gandhi ordered, then Vice-chief of Indian Army, Lt. Gen. S.K. Sinha to prepare the plan for the assault on the Golden Temple. Lt. Gen. Sinha advised against such kind of move because of Golden Temple's sacrilegious importance in accordance to Sikh Religion. Then, came a controversial decision and General Arun Shridhar Vaidya as the Chief of the Indian army. General Vaidya, with the help of Lt. Gen. K Sundarji as Vice-Chief, planned and coordinated Operation Blue Star.

On 3rd June, complete curfew was imposed on the state of Punjab with all ways to travel and communicate suspended. No Electricity created a black out in the state. This was one of a kind curfew imposed on any state in India which led a total cut off of Punjab from rest of India. Complete News media censorship was also imposed.

The Indian Army stormed the Golden Temple on the night of 5 June under the command of Maj. Gen. Kuldip Singh Brar. The forces had full control of the Golden Temple by the morning of 7 June. Bhindranwale and several other militant leaders including Maj. Gen. Shabeg Singh, PVSM, AVSM were killed in the operation along with a large number of followers and civilians. The armed forces also suffered many casualties

src:- sikhphilosophy.net

 The Operation unlucky coincided with a Sikh Annual Festival. Many pilgrims were trapped in the city, including women and children, who were wounded and killed as a result of the Operation Bluestar.

Effects of " Bluestar"

Jagdish Tytler

An unspecified number of Sikh army personals resigned from the Army from their positions. Operation Bluestar also led to the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 31 October 1984 by two of her Sikh bodyguards, which triggered 1984 anti-Sikh riots (the worst effect of Bluestar). A nationwide killing of Sikhs, mainly in national Capital Delhi and many parts of Northern India, brought a wide gap between Sikh community and Government especially because of some of the Member of Parliament like Jagdish Tytler(accused but given clean chit, now) and others led the riots against Sikhs in Delhi.

General Viadya, Army Chief, who led the planning and execution of Operation Bluestar, was assassinated by two Sikhs in Pune, 1986.

Regular worship at Golden Temple was resumed on 23 May, 1986. On 29 May, the government banned both political and military use of shrines in India.

Affecting My Family

I wasn't not born when this happened but my older brother was born a month later to the day when Indira Gandhi was Assassinated, which led to Sikh Riots in Delhi. My family was there at that time. They used live near Srinivaspuri. As my parents recall the day, i can see the struggle they had to go through during the pregnancy days. This was the effect when we weren't even Sikh, can't even imagine what the Sikh Community had to go through during that time period.

Sikhs cut their hair, their identity, so that so one recognizes them. Living in fear in your own city, inside your own house...........worst feeling of them all.

The more i talk about it, the more i feel sorry my people. Current Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh also publicly apologized to the Sikh Community for the 1984 Sikh Riots but i don't think his apology was accepted.