1984 Harmandar Sahib Attack

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1984-1

Dr Dalvinder Singh Grewal​

I have been deeply attached to the Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) Sri Amritsar since my childhood. This attachment got further increased when I was posted to 15 Artillery Brigade in Amritsar in 1974 from field area in Kashmir. Our going to Sri Harmandir Sahib became a regular affair. It did not take hours reaching the sanctum sanctorum as is the case now. We entered the complex and within minutes we were sitting and listening to the melodious hymns. It was so peaceful and mesmerising that one sat engrossed and connected in the heavenly environment, never thinking of leaving the place.

Golden Temple Location Map​

Golden Temple​

My later visits especially during 1984 however, have created a deep scar in my mind. There were news about lodging of Sant Bhindranwalla in Sri Harmandar Sahib Complex who and his followers were propagated as terrorists by Indian Government. His stay in the complex with weapons was also taken as a preparation of war against India. In May 2018, he was reported to have moved to Sri Akal Takhat where he entrenched himself along with his followers. The news that he expected an attack by the Indian Army made him to plan for his defence for which his followers were guided by General Subegh Singh. General Subegh Singh was the commander of Mukti Bahini in 1971 war with Bangladesh who was cashiered from Indian Army along with the other two Generals who led the Indian Army to capture Dhaka for some flimsy charges. This cashiering led to his grudge against the Army and the Indian Government and he appeared to be all out for revenge.

The police and paramilitary forces have started firing at the complex since 1 June 1984 but the actual assault on the complex started at 10.30 PM on June 2018. Large number of devotees had gathered in the complex since 5 June was the martyrdom day of Fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan Dev. As the news was flashed on TV channels and radio stations, it was a great shock for the Sikhs world over. There were disturbed feelings among the troops as well. At that time I was posted as Senior Staff Officer in an Artillery Brigade at Talbehat (Madhya Pradesh) and also performed the duties of Camp commandant. The Deputy Commander of the brigade called me and asked me to fall in all the troops, give them the information and also motivate them not to feel aggressive since there was no alternative left with the Army. I had to abide by the orders hence had a fall in explain the situation and calmed especially the Sikh troops separately and asked the senior JCO to kept an eye on them. I called the Sikh soldiers separately and explained them as ordered: “What all is happening is beyond our knowledge and approach. I cannot do anything to save our brethren from this on-going operation since it is conducted at Command level under the direct supervision of the Central Government. We will not be able to help; rather by taking some action at our level we may create more pain for our brethren and for ourselves.” I could find pain, hurt and helplessness writ large on their faces.

Later operation was blanked from all TV channels and the only conformation we got was from BBC on radio. It was really painful to hear our most sacred place being attacked by our own army. As the operation ended on 6th June, our GOC who was at Bhopal came to Talbehat and held a get together and explained to all officers about operation being successful and specifically stating that no damage has been done to Sri Hamandir Sahib. He asked our commander to send Sikhs to see this for themselves. Next day I was one among one of them asked to go to Amritsar to confirm this myself.

I left for Punjab next day and reached Patiala and stayed with my brother who was posted as Income tax Officer there. While moving by train and later by bus the checking was so much especially of the Sikhs who were being treated like enemies. Even though I was in officer’s uniform, yet the way I was checked I felt very much slighted and even ashamed of my uniform.

 

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1984-2: At Patiala​

I reached Patiala on 7 June 1984 and stayed with my brother who was posted in income tax department there. During discussions with him, I shared my experiences of 1984 with him. He was touched and felt pained at the turn of events but he had more than this in his kitty. He told, “You have faced this only for a day. We have been facing the same insult daily. My going to office or going for any purchases is full of such incidences. They treat all of us as terrorists”. “What happened here with you in those days?” I wanted to know. He started: “It was not only Sri Amritsar but entire Punjab was under curfew. Not only Gurdwaras but also any place of Gathering was deeply watched. Helicopters used to roam over our heads every moment of the day. No one was allowed to come out during curfew; not even for taking water, milk or vegetables. Whenever someone came out the helicopter will lower down and aim a gun at the person. The police roamed even in the street. Everywhere, you would find a check post. Even when there was a relaxation to buy vegetables, grocery and milk the checking and questioning was intense. One felt so insulted that it is beyond words. How come all the Sikhs who were known for their patriotism suddenly became terrorists?”

“I am not only shocked but also deeply hurt inside. I did not know of this till now.” My reply was muffled.

“But that is not the end of it. There is too much more than this. We still face because we do not find to be in a worst position as faced by the Sikhs who went to pay obeisance at Sri Amritsar of other Gurduaras on those dreadful nights. White paper later prepared by Government of India divulged 42 such Gurdwaras. One of these Gurdwaras was Gurdwara Dukh Niwaran just close to us.” His throat was full and he could hardly speak. I was jolted to the hilt to know about attack on Gurdwara Dukh Niwaran and other Gurdwaras in addition to Sri Harmandir Sahib as I did not know anything about it due to blocked media.

“What happened at Gurduara Dukh Niwaran?” I was very anxious to know. Gurdwara Dukhniwarn too was attacked on the 4th night. We heard tanks moving into the complex and there were 3-4 loud explosions followed by burst of rifle and machine gun fires for many hours which could be heard all over. A part of the Gurdwara complex lit up in flames, The entire area crackled with the sound. The person staying with in the complex including the pilgrims had to face the wrath. As per the information not a single one was left alive; not even the children or the women. We saw floating bodies in the sarovar as well. They had taken the dead bodies and burnt near village Badunger. I also went to see where the bodies were burnt. I saw iron bangles (Kadas) spread all around. These included small ones belonging to the small children. I cry when I remember these scenes”.

Gurdwara Dukh Niwaran Sahib Patiala​

“I wish to see both these place.” I enquired. “We can go when the curfew is lifted”, he said. We visited the places at the time of lifting of curfew. I could see the marks of tank tracks in the area of residential complex of Gurdwara Dukh Niwaran. The blood of the innocent spilled on the ground was still fresh. There was not a single room of the serai where the blood was not spluttered all around even on the walls. Smell of the dead and the blown off pieces of the bodies could still be felt. Gurdwara Sahib was in no way in a normal environment. Gurdwara Dukhniwaran Sahib is a historical Gurdwara. According to local tradition, supported by an old handwritten document preserved in the Gurdwara, ninth Guru of Sikhs Guru Tegh Bahadur, during his sojourn at Saifabad (now Bahadurgarh), visited and blessed village Lehl and its inhabitants so that they could be rid of a serious and mysterious sickness which had been their bane for a long time. The Guru visited Lehal on Magh Sudi 5, 1728 Bikram/24 January 1672 and stayed under a banyan tree by the side of a pond. The sickness in the village subsided. The site where Guru Tegh Bahadur had sat came to be known as Dukh Nivaran, literally meaning eradicator of suffering. Devotees have faith in the healing qualities of water in the sarovar attached to the shrine. The place which was helpful in healing the sickness has not been attacked for no reason.

The book ‘Amritsar: Mrs. Gandhi’s Last Battle, p. 152) however has different record: “The Golden Temple was not the only Gurdwara to be surrounded. On the same night the army surrounded thrity-seven Sikh temples where they believed Bhindranwale’s followers hasd sought sanctuary, In Patiala the army met with considerable tresistance from inside the Gurdwara Dukhniwafran and they decided to attack it. The operation like the operation in the Golden Tem[ple, was commanded by a Sikh General Gurdial Singh. The army says that twenty people were killed in Patiala Gurdwara, but doctors at Patials hospital say that at least fifty six people died. The army was disappointed at the number of terrorists they captured and killed in thirty seven gurdwaras. Either Bhindranwale’s men were not as widely spread as the army had been led to believe or most of them fled before the soldiers came.

The evidence collected from sources on ground however tells different stories. I enquired about Gurdwara Dukhniwaran attack from the executive Committee member and number of sewadars who told me the same things which my brother Dalbir Singh had told. Even at the burial site one could see the iron bangles spread all around as stated by my brother. Ajaib Singh Gill, who was the manager of Gurdwara Dukh Niwaran at the time of Army Operation said that he created bodies of 17 people who had died in around 35 minutes of the attack showing that there was no retaliation from the Sikhs with in the complex and no battle ever took place. No one ever mentioned the name of Major general Gurdial Singh. On the morning of June 6, in no time the Army surrounded the entire Gurdwara with jeeps and tanks (of the armoured division at Patiala?). An armoured car entered the Gurdwara and opened the fire at the sarai. The Gurdwara was surrounded from all the sides and the serai was surrounded from 2 opposite sides. Around 17 people including the pilgrims were killed. Among them were three women pilgrims and a UP labourer. Harvinder Singh Gill from Bathinda who was captured by the Army from Patiala Gurdwar and later sent to jail said: “We were around 35 members of AISSF. Two of us had revolvers while one 95 year old Sikh Baba rattan Singh had a .32 bore weapon. We threw our weapons in the reservoir to avoid any problem to the pilgrims but Rattan Singh did not agree. He fought till his lm ast breath. Around 22 people died during the operation in Patiala.(Bharat Khanna: No records of Deaths at Patiala Gurdwara: Times of India, Jan 7, 2017)

As per an inquiry conducted by Justice Tiwana on the orders of Punjab Government, 257 people were shot and killed during the storming of Gurdwara Dukh Niwaran Sahib in Patiala. It was mentioned that about 10,000 soldiers and paramilitary forces sealed Punjab on 01 June 1984. Worshippers and visitors were trapped not only in Sri Harmandir Sahib but also 37 other Gurdwaras which included Dukh Niwaran, Muktsar, Faridkot, Moga, Ropar and Chowk Mehta. The amount of pain and problems of the old, infirm and the children faced due to curfew and blanket ban on anyone going out of house even for food and milk, are insurmountable I was not at all reconciling with the situation. How can they treat us with such dreadfulness? People in general did no wrong. The blanket ban on news about the blue star operation on TV, radio or papers was meant to hide the truth but the way the rumours were spread especially through Pakistan media and also on BBC and by local Hindus, a fear psychosis had spread all around about the inhuman treatment of the Indian Army. There was no doubt that the holocaust left a permanent scar on mind of the Sikhs but there was none to heal this. It was well known that it was the result of politics and the rivalry between Giani Zail Singh who was the then President and the Darbara Singh who had just resigned from Chief Ministership. Smt. Indira Gandhi took the advantage to teach the Sikhs a lesson. The night was too heavy on me. I do not remember if I had slept throughout the night!

 

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1984-3 Sri Darbar Sahib​

I travelled by bus from Patiala and reached Sri Amritsar on 9 June 1984. The entire route was badly barricaded and there were too many checks by soldiers and police. Every check made me feel as alien at the land which I had protected with my blood in 1965 and 1971. Feeling so belittled in my officer’s uniform by these cruel checks, I cursed the time when I planned to come, But knowing the facts was more important than my ego. However, this insult left a very bad scar on my mind till date. I was hoping that Sri Darbar Sahib was not treated as badly as was Patiala treated. It was the day after Giani Zail Singh had visited the complex on 8 June 1984 and his bandwagon was stated to have been fired upon. From the deserted type bus stop, I came on the main road and found a military jeep which had a Sikh Engineer Army officer in uniform as co-driver. I waved to him to stop. He was nice to give me a lift. I told him that I was sent by my unit to see Sri Darbar Sahib for for myself that it has not been damaged and to tell the same back to my troops after having seen it at the ground. He was going to Darbar Sahib as he had been assigned certain duties about clearing the debris and maintenance of structures. I asked him the details about the Army Attack on Sri Darbar Sahib.’ You can see for yourself”. He was reluctant to come out openly and preferred to speak little in the presence of other troops. The jeep entered from Guru Nanak Sarai where Sant Bhindranwale camped initially in room no 47.
He took me to the tower (Bunga) to give the view of the entire complex.

It was very badly damaged in the attack and we were very cautious going up. At the top what I saw was shocking. I could see the smoke still close to Library area.The left side of Deodhi Saab appeared to be blasted off. Akal Takhat was nearly demolished.

There were some soldiers still on pickets on the buildings surrounding Darbar Sahib complex.

Akal Takhat on 9 June 1984​

I saw certain gears (graries) on the top. I asked as to what these were. He said, “These are gears of a fodder cutting machine. Probably they were brought if these could be modified to make some weapon. But these appear to have not been used.” I quizzed, “They have been showing lot of weapons with them. Did they have all these weapons?” He was clear, “I have been involved in clearance of the Gurdwara since 7 June. I have not found any complicated weapon or weapon of mass destruction. There could be no substantial weapons as stated. There were about 300 bodies littered all around the parikarma and about 50 bodies in Akal Takhat complex. Mostly they had local weapons. I also saw what was being projected on TV. I never found these in the complex” He was very clear in stating this. But this raised many questions. I asked, “How could they stand against this formidable Army at least a Division plus involved in attacking this complex.” He was uncritical in his answer, “I too do not understand this. Only I can say that they were too brave to stand such a great force. They cannot be more than 400 as could be seen from the bodies spread around. I do not think anyone could have escaped out of this from the hawk eyes of the Army when it was heavily barricaded and surrounded from all sides.”

 

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1984-4 Sri Darbar Sahib (Continued)

Dr Dalvinder Singh Grewal​

We came down from Bunga Sahib and went towards Sri Darbar Sahib Complex. At the Gate towards the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee office, I found track marks of tanks on the stones and a number of stones have been pressed in to ground. These marks were touching even the bank of the Sarovar. I was told that from the place in front of this gate on 6 June 1984, they fired tank shells on Akal Takhat building which pierced through the Darshni Deodi as well. This was why both the Darshani Deodi and Akal Takhat looked destroyed. He also told that there was a story afloat that a child with a bomb bound around his body jumped in to the turret of the tank destroying it. It however could not be verified though there was one tank found stuck on 7th morning which was towed out. Army is stated to have used 7 Vijayanta tanks.

While going by the Sarovar towards the monument commemorating Baba Deep Singh, the stench of some dead still spread around. Small fires could be seen near the Library.
An odd body could be seen floating on 9th June as well. They would have taken out almost all bodies before the visit of the President Giani Zail Singh but an odd body which would have gone down into the water would have come up. The soldiers could be seen roaming all round’ some even with their boots on. The officer asked them to remove these and re-enter. The response to the officer’s order was not taken as a respect and showed some arrogance. There appeared a wedge between the Sikh officers and troops and the troops from other religions. As walking on parikarma I found trenches made underground in the water channel of the Parikarma. I was astonished and enquired from the Officer. He was to quick to reply. These were the trenches planned specially by Major General Subegh Singh. Both Sant Bhindrawale and Maj gen Subegh Singh had ordered the fighters to fire the soldier on their knees so that they would remember for their life for attacking the holiest shrine of the Sikhs. They did not want any one to killed in the complex otherwise. These trenches were a real tactical innovatiom.
Reaching near Akal Takhat, I was aghast seeing the devastating scene all around. The area between the Akal Takhat and the Darshani Deodhi appeared to be the main battle ground. The officer told me: “Since the aim of the Army was to secure Sri Darbar Sahib without any damage and Akal Takhat in all possibility and clear of all terrorists (Sikh fighters) from the complex, maximum attention was paid to these places. Commando Paratroopers were dropped in this area but the fighters killed almost all. Since it was getting beyond the Army after a fight on 2, 3, 4 and 5th General Brar got permission from Delhi to blast off Akal Takhat with tanks and the Tanks were moved on 5-6 night. The devastating fire from tanks and 3.7” and 75/24 mm artillery Guns destroyed the entire building as you see it now. Darshani Deodhi was destroyed while tanks fired on Akal Takhat and there was no other way for the shell than to pierce through Darshani Deodhi as could be seen from the deployment of the tanks. The bodies of Sant Bhindranwale and Major General Subegh Singh along with others were found just in front of the Akal Talhat in this area. The area he showed me was where Dhadhis are seen singing Vaars these days. The body of Sant Bhindranwale was identified by his brother who was a JCO in Army. It was however given no respect and was removed in a truck meant for Waste Disposal. Watching this scene I did not know how many tears rolled from eyes. My handkerchief was fully wet however.

Entering into the devastated structure of Akal Takhat, I found pieces of burnt out Birs of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, some burnt Rumalas, a few utensils and other items of usage. If there was any weapons or items of worth would have been removed by Army a day or two day before. This was the same place where he gave his last interviews to Mr Subhash Kirpekar as mentioned by Mark Tully and Satish Jacob (1985, p.145) or others on 2 June 1984 as mentioned by Harbir Singh Bhanwar in his ‘Diary de Panne,1999, p.31)

Debris was being cleared from Akal Takhat at the time. The officer gave directions to his troops for clearing and moced with me towards the sanctum sanctorum. As I looked toward the Darshni Deodi its western side had huge holes showing that tanks have passed through this Deodhi into Akal Takhat building. This building was the first to bear the brunt of tanks before it destroyed Akal Takhat. Whether the area from Deodhi Sahib to Sri darbar sahib was secured before or after destruction of Akal Takhat or killing of Sant Bhindranwale could not be assessed then. Entering the steps to Darbar Sahib, I collected the sweet moments when posted in Amritsar I regularly visited Darbar Sahib and compared the moments I was going through then. I found myself bleeding and crying from inside trying to hold ears to observe all what happened there.

The stench from the Sarovar was becoming unbearable. I paid my obeisance at Sri Darbar Sahib with a heavy heart. I was shown the Beer Sahib kept in the upper storey where the Pathi (reader of Sri Guru Granth Sahib) was hit by a bullet while reciting from Sri Guru Granth Sahib. His blood-ridden hand mark was printed on the page which he was reading. As a went around the building numerous marks of the bullets on the round Gumbad and walls of the building. On some bullet marks, I found red marks on a few bullets and written 1 June 1984. It showed that there have been regular firing even on 1st June though the actual assault started on 2nd -3rd June 1984 night.
While praying at the sanctum sanctorum, I only recalled, ‘Eti mar payi kurlane, tain ki dard na aia?’

 

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1984-5 Reactions From the Public in Amritsar

Dr Dalvinder Singh Grewal​

With a bleeding heart, I returned towards the Dukh Bhanjani Beri with the officer. The stinking smell made me feel lousy. Near Dukh Bhabjani Beri, the officer told me that he had to visit the Tactical Headquarters of his affiliated Brigade. I preferred to accompany him. This Tactical Headquarters was in Brahm Boota Akhara. There was quite an activity of soldiers around the area. I happen to find a known officer with whom I had done a course. He was the Brigade Major and pleased to meet. I sat in the headquarters and was presented a cup of tea. During discussions, I put him a question: “The Division had landed here on 25/31 May but the operation could be completed by 7th June only. This was quite like Bangla Desh Operations. How did this happen that only 400 untrained civilians could hold a Division plus for so many days?” Initially, he was reluctant but when prodded he came out with a reply saying that: First three days were in prodding and flushing out to weed out the unwanted. The actual operation started only on 4th night and continued up to 6th morning. It was delayed due to heavy fortifications in Akal Takhat complex, surrounding buildings and parikrama. Infantry attacks assisted by paratroopers had to face heavy causalities without any success. These hardened fortifications could only be blown by tanks. For using tanks, permissions had to come from Delhi, Which came only on 5th evening.

We held discussions for about two hours on this and other subjects. These are discussed later. The Engineer officer who brought me into the complex got busy in his task hence could not accompany me further hence I was to go alone thereafter. I thanked him for the much-wanted help. While returning, I saw the serai area which had visible signs of flooding as a result of the blowing off the overhead water tank by a direct hit by an Artillery shell. After Akal Takhat, the maximum causalities were in the serais and most of these were of the pilgrims who had gathered to pay homage to Guru Arjan Dev ji whose martyrdom fell on 5th June. Since the entire area was still under the Army and the civilians especially Sikhs were not opening their mouth due to the fear caused by the horrendous attack. I thought it better to discuss with the civilians outside the complex and with some of my acquaintances at Amritsar. A few shops were open outside the complex.

I entered a tea shop which belonged to a Sikh. While he was preparing tea I showed my concern at the damage to Akal Takhat and Sri Darbar Sahib and enquired, “How could they do such a thing to Sikhs?” He asked me where I had come from. I told him that I had come from Talbehat near Jhansi and was sent to ascertain that there was no damage to the Sri Darbar Sahib. ‘Have you seen this now?’ he enquired. ‘What did you find and feel?” he quizzed. “Atrocious. It is beyond words.” Seeing me in uniform, he was reluctant initially but opened up seeing my sympathy.

“It was a plan to teach Sikhs a lesson. Indira did the same thing as did Abdali’, he said feeling great pain. I quizzed, “Abdali was a foreign invader but Indira was not a foreigner and one among from us.” He felt quite angry, “Hitler killed his own population in thousand just because they belonged to a different culture.” He opened up further, “Indira had a grudge against Sikhs. They had opposed emergency.” He said. “But if he had grudge against Sikhs why did she make Giani Zail Singh as the President?” I wanted to prod him further. Meanwhile, another educated Sikhs have entered who listened to our discussion. He added: “Giai Zail Singh was Indira’s tool. He played well into her hands to teach Sikhs a lesson. He was the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. If he did not want the attack on Darbar Sahib, he would not have allowed the Army.” I was at the back-foot. I could only say, “Probably he would not have been asked.” “No! No! He was in the total picture. He was totally involved in Indira’s plan. He propped Bhindranwale against Akalis. After emergency when Indira came to power, she wanted Sikhs to be taught a lesson. In Punjab, Giani ji was the Chief Minister. He used religion to fight his main opponents; the Akalis because he wanted to take the control of Shiromani Committee (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Sri Amritsar) into his hands and take the real power from them. He wanted to show himself to be a better Sikh than Akalis. Indira saw this development to her advantage. Giani ji suited her best in here plan. She got him to Delhi and made him the Home Minister. With her connivance, Giani Zail Singh developed relations with Bhindranwale to create a gin against Akalis who had by then resorted to agitations. It worked well initially. Since Sant Ji went out of the hand of Giani Zail Singh and Sant Bhindranwale aligned with Akalis, this did not suit the centre. The centre started creating a villain out of him. Indira Gandhi had three stalwarts of RAW in her advisory network. A disinformation campaign was started against both Akalis and Bhindranwale by the Central Government. The rumours were floated all over about the bad deeds of Sant ji which actually had never happened. Cases of molestation and murders were deliberately attributed to him so that he was presented as a monster, which he never was. He always denied his role in any murder or molestation. We are closest to Darbar Sahib. We have never heard any bad thing about Sant Bhindranwale. To most of us, he was a very pious person. You can verify this for yourself from other Sikhs. But if you meet a Hindu brother, you will find these rumours floated in Amritsar against Bhindranwale and his followers. He was made a demon in their eyes. Since Sant Ji found the abandonment of Anandpur Sahib Resolution adopted by political trio i.e., Harchand Singh Longowal, Gurcharan Singh Tohra and Parkash Singh Badal; the key leaders of Akalis then, he broke away from Akalis. Threats started pouring in against him. As a result, he was not finding himself safe in the Serai. Earlier he was staying in Room No 47 of Guru Nanak Serai but later shifted to Akal Takhat in view of the threat to his life”.

“How did this alienation of Bhindranwale from Longowal start?” I wanted to know the real reason. “Bhindranwale and Longowal could not maintain cordial relations after September 1983. In an agreement with opposition leaders in July 1983, Akali Dal came down to two demands: Chandigarh to remain with Punjab and Punjab Water Dispute to be decided by the Supreme Court. Bhindranwale considered it to be a climb down from Anandpur Sahib Resolution, hence was very vocal about it. Meanwhile, his minibus containing Sri Guru Granth Sahib and a library of his lectures were first impounded by Haryana Government and then burnt down. In anger, Bhindranwale gave vitriolic statements about the other community. This was against the stand of Akali Dal. It is also often mentioned that it was during this period that some dead bodies were seen floating in the sewage system of Serai. These were attributed by Bhan Singh to Bhindranwale even though there was no proof of it. This, however, caused a sense of fear among SGPC officials including Longowal. However, no one openly spoke against Bhindranwale.

Meanwhile, Amrik Singh and Thara Singh who were arrested a year ago were released in September 1983. Amreek Singh was the President of AISSF originally an outfit of Akali Dal. In September 1983 AISSF held a conference at Manji Sahib.showing their strength. In a common decision, it declared support to Bhindranwale thereby adopting a different view from the Akali Dal. This was followed by a build-up of the AISSF in the complex. Most of the members were stated to be armed with Sten guns and rifles. They were addressed by Sant Bhindranwale and even Sant Longowal but it happened to be the last address of Longowal to AISSF. Longowal was treated by Bhindranwale differently because of Akali Dal reducing their demands from Anandpur Sahib Resolution to demands of Chandigarh and reference of Punjab waters to Supreme Court. Longowal felt the threat his self from Bhindranwale’s men. For his protection, he requested Babar Khalsa owing allegiance to Fauja Singh’s wife. 40 Babbars moved to Serai complex in December 1983 Sant Bhindranwale felt this as a threat to him. To avoid any confrontation Sant Bhindranwale was shifted from Room no 47 in Serai to Akal Takhat sensing trouble.

“How and why Bhindranwale moved to Akal Takhat without the permission of SGPC?” I enquired. It was Tohra who permitted this in the light of strained relations with Longowal and likely eruption of conflict between Babbar’s and the Taksal and AISSF youth. The Akal Takhat Jathedar objected to it but Tohra overruled him. Due to the continuous threats to Longowal, he invited Babar Khalsa to protect Teja Singh Samundri Hall and Serai complex. Then Sukhdev Singh was the chief of Babbar Khalsa through Smt. Amarjit Kaur wife of Fauja Singh who was martyred by Nirankaris on Vaisakhi day was the overall controller. About 150 of them entrenched on Water Tank in Guru Ram Das Serai, Guru Nanak Seari areas, on the road between SGPC complex, Sri Darbar Sahib complex and Baba Atal area. The boundary between the two was the road going to Teja Singh Samundri Hall.” This was a good detail, however; I wanted to know what happened actually inside when Sant Bhindranwale was in the complex.

“Can you tell me how the operation started?” I wanted to know some details from these locals who appeared to be well versed with the operation. He told,“The CRPF and BSF had made bunkers on buildings all around the complex. Sikhs too had some bunkers on some buildings. There had been occasional firing from the police since May. There has been some fire exchange between the ‘fighters’ and the CRPF also.” The militants however never resorted to unnecessary firing or killing anyone and I am witness to the same.”

“Why was AIG Atwal killed within the complex?” I enquired. He said, “Atwal was earlier the SSP of Amritsar. It was well known that when Atwal visited Sri Darbar Sahib to get information about the Sant and his men. He occasionally planned to arrest and to kill some Sant Bhindranwale men but they escaped. One of them, however, died having been shot at. The militant was of the Student Federation hence they were very angry. They had warned Atwal not to enter Darbar Sahib. But Atwal still. He paid his obeisance at Sri Darbar Sahib and after a round of parikrama, was about to go out from Deodhi in the eastern side towards Hall bazaar when he was shot at and killed. His body was not allowed to be taken out for hours possibly due to some tussle between SGPC official and Sant’s men. Bhinder the DGP of Punjab was furious and Tohra too was annoyed.”

I enquired further, “Did Sant Bhindranwale’s men belong to All India Sikh Student Federation?” There reply was clear. “They were not only from the Student Federation but also from Taksal. Some others also joined. Among them some ex-servicemen, police deserters and criminals too joined unwittingly. Student Federation president was Amrik Singh son of Sant Kartar Singh Bhindranwale, the predecessor of Sant Jarnail Singh. Harminder Singh Sandhu was the General Secretary. They both always stayed with Sant Bhindranwale.” The owner of the tea stall also spoke, “Babbar Khalsa men were also there but they were in Guru Ram Dass Serai area. They were against Sant Bhindranwale but stayed in the complex to protect SGPC and Serai complex as well as Sant Longowal and to save the complex from Army operation. This was the reason that actions between Bhindranwale's men and Babbar Khalsa men were not coordinated. Serai area was an easy target while Akal Takhat area was the most difficult target.”

“In all, how many of these militant Sikhs could be in the total complex?” I wanted to know the approximate number. He paused and thought over it and said “I do not think they were more than 700 initially; about 150 each in the East and West Parikarma and 17 fortifications and about 80 in the Akal Takhat complex. Out of them about 200, who were not seriously committed as Damdami Taksal men, left the complex on 3 June. In addition, Babbar Khalsa maybe around 100-150 in the SGPC complex”.



“How many could have died?” I wanted to know the number of the dead. Out of these hardly anyone could have escaped. In addition, the major causalities were of the pilgrims which included a Jatha which had come from Sangrur to court arrest for Akali agitation. A number of the pilgrims were killed to show the increased number of the militants in the complex

“Where were all these fighters deployed?

The Babbar Khalsa was deployed in Shiromoni Committee and Serai complex to the south of the road going to the office of Shiromani Committee. The Militants of Bhindranwale were on the other side towards the Darbar Sahib. The maximum concentration was around Akal Takhat and the civilian buildings around Akal Takhat. They had occupied around 17 houses around Akal Takhat and made their posts there. There were a number of them in and out of the rooms along the parikrama as well. There could not be more than 70-80 in the Akal Takhat building. All militants were controlled by General Shabegh Singh.

“How did the battle go?”

There was CRPF firing on 1st June where there were a number of causalities. Heavy shelling could be seen on 3rd June to 6th June. We cannot tell about this since thereafter there was a curfew and we were not allowed to move even. Only Army knows better or a few Gurdwara employees who were at Darbar Sahib. We could only watch bright shell bursting or huge thuds of the shells bursting which went on 5th and 6th June. Even on 7th and 8th firing from militants have been reported.

Worst, however, was the treatment given to the pilgrims. Young of them were collected and shot to increase the number of militants. Maximum killings were of pilgrims staying in the parikrama and in the serais. Som Shiromani Committee staff was also killed. The treatment of the arrested was again shocking. About 60-70 Pilgrims were forced into a small room and suffocated to death. Out of them not more than ten would have survived. Similarly, no water was given to them for days together. In another incident, somebody launched a grenade into the pilgrims; the army personnel escorting them opened fire on the pilgrims and killing most of them. Some say that the grenade was thrown by the army itself to cover the killing of these pilgrims.

These soldiers had no respect of the sanctity of the religious place. They moved in the parikrama and sanctum sanctorum with boots on. They smoked within the complex. They kicked the dead. They abused the pilgrims and ill-treated them throughout as if these pilgrims were the enemy.

The Sikhs in the tea shop whose number had risen to five by now and three of them shared very valuable information; I extracted whatever they could give. Since I was very keen to know more from other sources as well, I proceeded further to know more details from others.

(Note: Later when I studied the details of the operation in detail I found that these events and their progress thereafter has been mentioned by Tavleen Singh but with a lot of exaggeration and without any proof (Terrorists in The temple: PP.50-54). It was a tragedy that media (especially the Delhi media) gave one-sided reports clearly biased by the feed is given to them by the Government and anti-Akali and anti-Bhindranwale lobby. It was not that, Akalis and Bhindranwale did not have faults; they had some of them well-exploited by some interested individual and groups. This will be clear from the events that followed.

Tavleen also mentions of Khalistan Headquarters in Room 32 in Guru Nanak Niwas but manned only by Balbir Singh Sandhu who himself made and served tea to the visitors. This shows that he had no one to assist. She created a hill out of the mole and showed it to be a danger to the nation from this one man of Khalistan. It is a wonder how Tavleen writes over many pages about an individual who had no following. In fact, Khalistan has never been a favourite subject in Amritsar or anywhere else in Punjab till date as has been projected by the media. Possibly this projection by Tavleen and other correspondents influenced by her helped the Government to show Sikhs as anti-nationals and terrorists. This has since been done till date without any viable proof. Further details are discussed in later chapters.)

 

[dalvinder45]

1984-6: Views from Other Side​

I had a fair idea about the operations from two points of views i.e., the Army operations within the complex and the Sikhs around the complex but wanted to know about those who hated Sant Bhindranwale and projected him as a demon. These were the local Hindus, Central Government Officials, intelligence Officials, the local police officials and certain Army personnel who had been fed with tutored information or rumours. Also important was the views of the people from other parts of Punjab to the whole operations to have a clear overall picture.

I was posted in Artillery Brigade headquarters from 1973-1976 as General Staff Officer (3) as a captain. I had taken up my Post Graduate studies in English from Himachal Pradesh University. For coaching, I used to go to a coaching academy in Hall Bazaar run by Professor Sharma who was the retired Principal of a local college. He had two sons; the younger one did Post Graduate Courses in Teaching of English with me from CIEFL Hyderabad. This brought us quite close to each other. I reached their house-cum-academy walking as it was not at much of a distance. I found younger Sharma present. I told him the purpose of my visit and requested him to tell me about the attack on Darbar3 Sahib and other connected incidences.

He told quite a different version from what I heard. In his view, Sant Bhindranwalle was a criminal who murdered Hindus or anyone who opposed him. He told how the bus travellers: the Hindus were segregated and murdered mercilessly and how Lala Jagat Narain was murdered in cold blood. His stories of murders were long. In fact every murder which was done in Punjab was connected to him as per his version. He was cited as sending threatening letters to the police, the executives, the editors, the correspondents, the people around and even the Akali leades and the government. This had made him fearful for his brother going to his college in Tarantaran. He himself being a chain smoker; was also against declaration of Sri Amritsar as a holy city and also told me how the Hindus held huge demonstrations lead by Luxmi Kanta Chawla against banning smoking in the city premises. He also told of women being raped at Darbar Sahib Complex and bodies thrown in to the Sarovar and outside in the drains. He mentioned: “Not a single women or a Hindu was safe in the Darbar Sahib Complex. Hindu businessmen are leaving Punjab. They had been appealing to the police, the state Government and the Central Government to either arrest or eliminate Sant Bhindranwale. It is on their hue and cry that Indira sent Army and they all welcomed Army with seats on 31 May 1984 in a very big welcome. Other members of his family also were of the same point of view. Later on some students also came up for the tuition and I shared my experiences with them and extracted their views as well. Views of Hindu students were quite opposite to the Sikh students. It showed of a greater divide between the two. This had never happened earlier to this scale where lines were clearly drawn between Hindus and Sikhs. The vague and bizarre allegations about Bhindranwale and his men too were not heard from anywhere before. This divide shocked me and I became very cautious while registering the two points of view. This needed a deep research before a conclusion was arrived at. I requested Sharmas for the old newspapers especially along with local editions which they had preserved. These old issues were of Panjab Kesri and Jagbani. I collected the bundle and thanked them before leaving. I planned to analyse and shift the truth.

I reached my home near Raikot; requesting Army vehicles for the lift. Army had spread all over; at almost all key points even in the remotest areas. Checking was thorough. I could see a pain writ large on the faces of almost all the Sikhs. At my home I was told of the untold miseries faced by the Sikhs in the hands of police and Army. I was also told that on hearing of the attack how the Sikhs from remote areas started moving towards Sri Amritsar. MLA Basant Singh Khalsa from Dakha with his group crossed through the Sutlej on boats, passing through the villages on foot reached the periphery of Sri Amritsar only to be stopped by the tanks which had encircled Sri Amritsar.

Every one talked of the game plan of Mrs. Gandhi to teach Sikhs a lesson. They got the information through unofficial channels i.e., Pakistan and BBC radios. They called Government Channels as ‘Sarkari channels’ and termed these as false propaganda tools against Sikhs. They however, did not know exactly what had happened. I shared with them what I saw on ground. Almost every listeners had tears in his eyes. They all were feeling helpless in the chains of injustice. They had been hurt from the inner core of their hearts. When asked about the blame of terrorism on Sant Bhindranwale, they were very critical and in one voice they said, “Bhindranwale was a saint. He did not murders; no repression, no threats. It was all planned by the government agencies. It was a long term planning done after Indira Gandhi was defeated by Janta Government where Akalis were a party to Indira Gandhi’s defeat. She had planned ever since to teach Sikhs a lesson and she has done so in this murderous attack. She used Giani Zail Singh effectively who in turn tried to use Bhindranwale, but he did not fall in his net. They used intelligence agencies to spread the mayhem and attribute this all to Sant Ji. We have been listening to San Ji’s video. No where he asked people to spfread violence or kill Hindus. In fact he was against this. He had no hand in killing Hindus. There was no FIR against him. He was interrogated in Lala Jagat Narain’s case. Since he had no involvement he was let off. Entire Punjab knew about it that a game plan of murders was being played to brow beat Akali agitation and teach Sikhs a lesson.”

There were thus two different versions of the role of Sant Bhindranwale, Smt. Indira Gandhi and the Sikh trinity. I planned to analyse these two versions in detail on reaching my location.

 

[dalvinder45]

Timeline: 1984 Operation Blue Star -1​

I collected the material on Operation Blue Stars, the events leading and following through the available materials, interviews, personal visits, videographing, photographing and observing the changing situation. The Operation has been termed as a sequence to holocaust which was the outcome of three major events, i.e., (a) partition of India in 1947 where Sikhs were devoid of their self-rule of Punjab as against Hindustan for Hindus and Pakistan for Muslims as per the feelings of some; (b) emergency in India and the role of Sikhs especially Tohra and Badal who were an eyesore in the eyes of Indira Gandhi and Giani Zail Singh and feud between Giani Zail Singh and Darbara Singh and (c) subsequent propagation of Sant Bhindranwale by Giani Zail Singh to dominate/dislodge Darbara Singh and dominate Akalis. Hence the time line has been developed from the year 1947 onwards:

• 2 June 1947: Birth of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale at Rode, District Ferozepur.
• 15 August 1947: India Partitioned into India and Pakistan
• April 1971: Anandpur Sahib Resolution passed by Akali Dal
• November 1973: Sikh High Priests declare Nirankaris renegades and orcastercise them from Sikh Panth since Nirankari Head had declared himself a Guru in line of the 10th Gurus.
• 26 June 1975: Indira Gandhi declares emergency. Akalis opposed emergency by sending batches for arrest and siding with Janta Dal.
• 27 March 1977: Government of Janta Dal formed under Parkash Singh Badal as CM.
• 1977: Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale declared head of Damdami Taksal
• 13 April 1978: Clash between Nirankaris and Sikhs at Amritsar. 13 Sikhs and 3 Nirankaris killed. Babar Khalsa Head Fauja Sigh was the first to be shot.
• 24 April 1980: The Nirankari head Baba Gurbachan Singh murdered by Ranjit Singh.
• 26 July 1981: Decision to start ‘Dharam Yudh Morcha’ by World Sikh Convention at Manji Sahib, Sri Amritsar. Sant Harchand Longowal declared as Morcha dictator.
• 31 August 1981: Notice to the Central Government to accept listed 45 demands.
• 7 September 1981: A grand March to Delhi in support of the 45 demands. Haryana Government under CM Harbhajan Lal resorted to Lathi Charge and firing; killing four Sikhs.
• 8 September 1981 Lala Jagat Narain in his paper Hind Samachar declares S. Gurcharan Singh Tohra and other Akalis as traitors.
• 9 September 1981: Lala Jagat Narain of Hind Samachar was murdered near Ludhiana.
• 13 September 1981: Warrant issued for Sant Jarnail Singh in the case of murder of Lala Jagat Narain. The Sant was in Chando Kalan in Haryana at the time of murder. Sant had left for Amritsar before the arrival of the police. Police went to Chando Kalan but unable to find him burnt his two buses containing religious material and the villagers were also harassed.
• 20 September 1981: Sant Bhindranwala surrenders to police at Chauk Mehta. Before arrest, the Sant appealed to the public to maintain peace. The police however, fired at the gathered Sikhs. A number of Sikhs were killed in the shootout. 4 people were also killed in firing at Jalandher.
• 22 September 1981: Mrs Indira Gandhi visited Chandigarh and invited Akalis for talks. Akalis demanded release of Sant Bhindranwala without any condition.
• 29 September 1981: An Indian Airlines plane hijacked and taken to Lahore but returned to India since it was not allowed to land.
• October 1981: Giani Zail Singh as Home Minister of India announces in Parliament that Bhindranwale is being released since there was no evidence that he was involved in the murder of Lala Jagat Narain.
• 15 October 1981: Sant Bhindranwala released without any condition. Battle of one-up-man-ship between Giani Zail Singh and Darbara Singh heightened. Giani Zail Singh promoted Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala against Akalis and to upset Darbara Singh.
• 16 October 1981: Dialogue process started between Akalis and the centre.
• 31 December 1981: Prime Minister Indira Gandhi announces decision of distribution of Ravi and Beas between Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. Perceived as discriminatory against and detrimental to interests of Punjab.
• 5 April 1982: Talks between the two broke down.
• 8 April 1982: Indira Gandhi laid the foundation stone of Sutlej-Yamuna link canal at village of Kapoori, the border village between Haryana and Punjab in Sangrur District.
• 8 April 1982: Akalis declared ‘Nehar Roko Morcha’ at Kapoori.
• 19 July 1982: Bhai Amrik Singh arrested in fabricated cases. Sant Bhindranwalla started Morcha for his release.
• 4 August 1982: Akali Morcha (dharm Yudh) for river waters and against other discrimination against Sikhs and Punjab shifted to Amritsar. Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindrawala joins his Morcha with Akalis.
• 11 September 1982: 34 Sikhs going to participate in agitation of Akalis, were killed near Tarntarn when their vehicle crashed into a train.
• 4-30 September 1982: Akalis proceeding to Delhi to protest during ninth games were insulted by Bhajan Lal’s Government.
• 27 January 1983: All Akali members resign from Parliament and Assembly.
• 4 April 1983: Akali Dal resorted to ‘Rasta Roko’. Fired at by police killing 36 Sikhs in Punjab
• 23 April 1983: DIG Jalandhar Range gunned down by terrorists inside the Golden temple.
• 17 June 1983: ‘Rail Roko’ program by Akalis
• 6 August 1983: Bhai Amrik Singh and Bhai Thhara Singh released
• 29 August 1983:’ Akalis start ‘Strike Work’ (kam roko) Program.
• 5-6 October 1983: 6 Hindu bus travellers killed near Dhilwan.
• 6 Oct 1983: Chief Minister Darbara Singh resigns. Governor BD Pande takes over.
• 10 October 1983: Governor Rule promulgated. Governor directed by the centre to control terrorism in Punjab.
• Nov 1983: Four new Advisors to Governor appointed who recommended against attacking Sri Harmandir Sahib as envisaged by the centre.
• 28 November 1983: 4 Hindu bus travellers killed near Naushera Panuan.
• 15 December 1983: 40 men of Babar Khalsa owing allegiance to Fauja Singh’s wife and also to Akali Trinity moved in to serai complex causing threat to Sant Bhindranwale.
• 15 December 1983: Sensing trouble from Babbar Khalsa, Sant Bhindranwala shifted from Room no 47 in serai to Akal Takhat on the directions of S. Gurcharan Singh Tohra.
• 14 February 1984: Punjab Bandh by Akalis. Hindu Suraksha Samiti vandalised model of Sri Darbar Sahib at Railway Station Sri Amritsar in addition to other damages.
• 14-21 February 1984: Hooligans and goons killed Sikhs and burnt Gurdwaras in Haryana in Panipat, Jind and many other places. In retaliation, Bomb Explosions, attack on policemen, random shooting of bystanders in market places in Punjab.
• 27 February 1984: Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Parkash Singh Badal, Surjit Singh Barnala and others tore Article 25 of the Indian Constitution. They were put in Chandigarh prison. The central government went into secret negotiations with these leaders till 12 May. External affairs Minister PV Narsimha Rao, the Cabinet Secretary and Principal Secretary PC Alexander were the negotiators from Government side. Elections declared.
• 9 March 1984: All India Sikh Federation banned.
• 16 March 1984: Akalis declared boycott of elections
• 17 March 1984: CRPF opened unprovoked fire on Sikh pilgrims killing three of them.
• 2-3 April 1984: Harbans Lal shot by militants. The angry crowd with Harbans Lal attacked Sikhs. CRPF sided with Hindus and shot down 8 Sikhs.
• 6 May 1984: Giani Sahib Singh Head Priest Golden temple solemnises the weddings of six close associates of Sant Bhindranwale.
• 10 May 1984: The ex-Jathedar of Akal Takhat Partap Singh murdered.
• 12 May 1984: Sri Ramesh, the Editor of Hind Samachar Group murdered. 165 Hindus and over 260 Sikhs reported killed up to May 1984, Since emergency, a total of the dead were 410 and the injured numbered 1180. (Amritsar: Smt Indira Gandhi’s last battle, p. 147). These included the militants killed in encounters which worked out to be 206.
• 13 May 1984. Tohra, Badal, Barnala, Randhir Singh Cheema, S. Balwant Singh Ramuwalia and others released from Chandigarh Jail.
• 25-31 May 1984: 100,000 Indian Army troops are mobilized and deployed throughout Punjab surrounding all the important Gurdwaras including the Golden Temple complex.
• 26 May 1984: Parleys held between Punjab leaders S. Parkash Singh Badal, Sant Longowal, S. Gurcharan Singh Tohra and others negotiated with PV Narsimha Rao, Pranav Mukherjee and Shiv Shankar of the Central Government. Some of the demands included (a) a commission for consideration through a notification (b) The River water Dispute be handed over to the Supreme Court. (c) Chandigarh be delinked from Fazilka and Abohar and handed over to Punjab. (d) A Linguistic Commission be set up to include Punjabi speaking areas in to Punjab (e) Restrictions be removed from All India Sikh Student federation (AISSF). (f) All those Sikhs who have been arrested on false cases must be released immediately (g) All India Gurdwara Act should be made. Centre backtracked from the demands.
• 13 May 1984: Akalis declared non-cooperation movement from 3 June 1984 onwards.
• 25 May 1984: 100,000 Indian Army troops are mobilized and deployed throughout Punjab surrounding important Gurdwaras in Punjab including the Golden Temple complex.
• 31 May 1984: Lt. General Sunderji launched Western Command with its three corps (II, IX and XI.) in entire Punjab and Chief of Staff of the Command Lt Gen R S Dayal was made the operational in-charge. Infantry Division under Major General Kuldip Singh Brar was ordered to move from Meerut to Amritsar for Operation Blue Star. Maj Gen Brar briefed about the operation on 01 June 1984 (Operation Blue Star: Brar, pp.34-35). XI Corps was given the responsibility of securing the borders from Pakistan and any influx of militants from across the border to assist those in Sri Darbar Sahib. 15 Infantry Division permanently stationed at Amritsar was deployed all along the border in Amritsar Sector. Remaining troops of the three Corps spread all around Punjab. In Patiala Gurdwara, in Sri Darbar Sahib Complex area, Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Palki and Rumalas put on fire.
• 01 June 1984: Thousands of pilgrims start to gather at the Golden Temple complex to celebrate the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev Ji on 3rd June. Police snipers opened fire on Sant Jarnail Singh Bindranwale sittings on the roof of the Langer hall but the shot is missed. CRPF opened fire from 00.40 PM to 8.15 PM (about 7-1/2 hours) on Sri Darbar Sahib Complex including the dome of Sri Harmandir Sahib (32 bullet marks) and Parikarma. 11 Sikhs killed and 25 injured. The killed included four members of AISSF and one member of Babbar Khalsa (Mehnga Singh). There were bullet holes in the Langer building, in the marble pavement (parikarma) surrounding the Golden Temple and on the Golden Temple building itself. It was prodding fire to know the strength of Sant Bhindrawale’s men. There was however, no response from Sant Bhindranwale’s side. The reason could be the instructions from Akal Takhat Jathedar or fire control by Major General Shabeg Singh. Curfew was imposed from 9 PM for 32 hours. Longowal rang up Giani Zail Singh four times but his call was not attended. Governor removed Mr. Sidhu as advisor and Lt Gen RS Dayal and DGP Surinder Nath made Advisors to the Governor.
• 2 June 1984: Governor BD Pande calls Chief Secretary and Home Secretary Punjab at Raj Bhavan, Chandigarh on at 6 PM and asks for issue of an order to call Army to flush out terrorists in the Golden Temple at Amritsar. Mr Pooni signs the order. The advisors changed with two new advisors. Sant Longowal issued a statement condemning the attack. Jathedar Tohra also wrote a letter to Indira Gandhi. Giani Kirpal Singh Jathedar Akal Takhat and Giani Sahib Singh Head Granthi also issued statements. GOC-in-C Western Command Lt Gen Sunderji arrives at Raj Bhavan at 06.30 PM. Indira Gandhi also gave a speech on TV and Radio Network as a prelude to the operation.
• 3 June 1984: Martyrdom Anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev ji, Curfew relaxed for 7 hours. Interviews of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and Major General Subegh Singh were conducted by correspondents Subhash Kirpekar and later by others with Harbir Singh Bhanwar. Though Sant Bhindranwale was not very sure that attack was imminent but Major General Shabegh Singh was sure that now Army attack was imminent and hence prepared his men accordingly. About 200 militants who probably were not ready to give up fight escaped Bhindranwale’s camp. It may be that they were sent out by Sant Bhindranwale himself since most of them were stated to be having dubious backgrounds. The expected strength with Sant Bhandranwale were around 50-70 men inside Akal Takhat and about 300-400 men deployed in various posts/fortifications. This included parikarama area and the houses adjoining Akal Takhat. In Serai Complex, Bibi Amarjit Kaur had deployed about 150 Babbar Khalsa under Sukhdev Singh. They held Water Tank in Guru Ram Dass area, road connecting SGPC, other residential and office area of SGPC and Sri Darbar Sahib Complex and Baba Atal area. Hence the militants could be between 400 to 550 and not more than that in any case. Being Guru Arjan Dev Ji’s martyrdom day, about 1000 pilgrims landed up in Serai complex a day or two before to celebrate the day. This also included some school teachers and children. Some pilgrims were also stuck up in parikarma area. In Serai complex there were about 1700, who came to Amritsar to participate in ‘Anaj Roko” agitation (preventing the movement of grain) as per the call given by Longowal for a Morcha. Priests and other employees in the complex were around 400. It was assessed that around 3500 to 4000 people were in the complex on the night of 3rd June 1984. A total curfew was imposed from 7.30 PM onwards. All communications including phone lines to and from Punjab were cut. Road blocks prevented anyone from entering or leaving Punjab and all journalists were expelled from Punjab. Pilgrims were trapped inside the temple complex. Milk vendors from the villages who supplied milk to the city of Amritsar were shot dead for violating the curfew orders.
• 4 June 1984: Elimination process of militants deployed at 2 Ramgarhia Bungas, Water Tank in Ram Das serai, Langar building and Brahm Boota Akhara started by Army under Maj Gen Brar. The army started firing on the temple complex. There was a gun battle lasting 5 hours. Using machine guns and mortars the army fired at militant positions atop the two 18th century towers called Ramgarhia Bungas, and the water tank behind Teja Singh Samundri Hall as well as surrounding buildings. At least 100 were killed on both sides. Heavy firing on to the Darbar Sahib Complex was reported from 4.40 AM onwards. As per Gurcharan Singh Tohra, the firing was much more intense than in 1965 war. Not a single body could move out. No warning was ever heard in the Serai or Darbar Sahib Complex as per Tohra who added that, “If there would have been any warning, we would have saved 600 men of the group which had come for offering peaceful arrest for the agitation.”
• 5 June 1984: At 7:00 p.m., the invasion of The Golden Temple began with tanks of the 16th Cavalry Regiment of the Indian Army moving to close on to the Golden Temple complex. According to Major General Brar he briefed troops not to use their guns against the Golden Temple or the Akal Takht. Tanks entered Serai complex at 10 AM, and started firing at the complex. Artillery (3.7” mortars) is used to blast off the tops of the Ramgaria Bungas and the water tank. Scores of buildings in and around the temple complex started blazing. One artillery shell landed more than 5 km away in the crowded city. In the narrow alley behind the Akal Takht, paramilitary commandos tried to get into the temple. Meanwhile tanks moved into the square in front of the clock tower entrance. Some troops made to the roof but were turned back due to the heavy gunfire. At 10:30 pm commandos from the 1st Battalion, the Parachute Regiment tried to run down the steps under the clock tower onto the marble parikrama around the sacred pool. They faced heavy gunfire, suffering casualties and were forced to retreat. A second wave of commandos managed to neutralize the machine gun posts on either side of the steps or got down to the parikrama. The Akal Takht was found to be heavily fortified with sandbags and bricked gun emplacements in its windows and arches. From here and the surrounding buildings the militants were able to fire at any commando who could make his way to the sanctum Santorum of Sri Harmandar Sahib. Two companies of the 7th Garhwal Rifles entered the temple complex from the Western gate entrance. After a gun battle they were able to establish a position on the roof of the Temple library. They are reinforced by two companies of the 15th Kumaon. Repeated unsuccessful attempts were made to storm Akal Takht.
• After midnight tanks were used to break down the steps leading to the parikrama from the hostel side and an 8-wheeled Polish-built armoured personnel carrier made its way towards the Akal Takht. It was destroyed by a Chinese-made rocket propelled grenade launcher. Six or more Vijayanta tanks entered the temple complex crushing the delicate marble inlays of the parikrama and plough their way towards the Akal Takht. Orders arrive and the tanks start firing their large 105mm cannons equipped with high explosive squash-head shells into the Akal Takht. These shells were designed for hard targets like armour and fortifications. When the shells hit a target, their heads spread or squash on the hard surface. Their fuses were arranged to allow a short delay between the impact and the shells igniting, so that a shock-wave passes through the target and a heavy slab of armour or masonry is forced away from the inside of the target armour or fortification. The effect on the Akal Takht was devastating. Over 80 shells were pumped into the Takhat building which pierced through the Darshani Deodhi first and then entered Akal Takhat. The entire front of the Darshani Deodi and the Takht are destroyed and fires break out in many of the different rooms blackening the marble walls and wrecking the delicate decorations dating back to the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Marble inlays, plaster and mirror work, filigree partitions and priceless old wall paintings were all destroyed. The gold dome of the Akal Takht was also badly damaged by artillery fire. At one stage a 3.7 inch Howitzer gun is mounted on the roof of a building behind the shrine and fired a number of times at the beautiful dome. At the other end of the Temple complex, on the easternmost side a battalion of the Kumaon Regiment attacked the hostel complex where many of the innocent pilgrims as well as the temple administration staff were trying to protect themselves. There was no water because the water tower had been destroyed. Over and above June month was the hottest and children cried and the old gasped for water. Some statement of the eye witnesses are given below:
• They cut our electricity and water supplies. It was very hot in the rooms. There was no water. We had only two plastic buckets of water. Sant Longowal had to place two people as guards over the buckets. Many people would squeeze their undershirts to drink their sweat to quench their thirst." (Bhan Singh, Secretary of S.G.P.C.)
• Around 1:00 am the Army entered the hostel and administrative buildings and ordered everyone out and made them sit in the courtyard of the Guru Ram Das Hostel. There were about 250 people who came out. At 2 a.m. on June 6 the Army people came to the Rest House. They tore off all my clothes, stripped me naked, my kirpan was snatched, my head gear (patka) was untied to tie up my hands behind my back. They caught me by my hair and took me along with five others - who were all pilgrims - to the ruins of the water tank, there we were told, "don't move or you'll be shot." They kept hitting us with the rifle butts. Then a Major came and ordered a soldier, ‘shoot them’. He then shouted at us, "You must be Bhindranwale's Chelas? You want Khalistan?” I said "I am here to do my duty. I have nothing to do with all this." Six of us were in a line facing the Major, when a Pahari soldier started shooting from one end, killing four of us (with 3 bullets each). As my turn was coming, suddenly a Sikh Officer turned up and ordered, "Stop Shooting". Thus I was saved.” (Prithipal Singh, Sevadar, Akal Rest House)
• Suddenly there was a big explosion. All hell broke loose. It was pitch dark. People started running back into the verandah and the rooms. I and Abhinashi Singh were sitting next to Gurcharan Singh, the former Secretary of the Akali Dal whom Bhindranwale accused of murdering Sodhi. Gurcharan was shot as he tried to run inside. We realized that soldiers were shooting at us. They thought someone from among the crowd had exploded the grenade. But it was probably thrown by extremists on the water tank overlooking the Guru Ram Das Serai (Hostel). We ran to Tohra's room and told Longowal what was happening. Longowal came out and shouted at the Major. He said, 'Don't shoot these people. They are not extremists. They are employees of the S.G.P.C.' The Major then ordered his men to stop shooting. Later in the morning we counted at least seventy dead bodies in the compound. There were women and children too." (Bhan Singh)
• Among the dead were 35 women and 5 children. The survivors were made to sit in the courtyard of the Guru Ram Das Hostel until curfew was lifted the next evening. They were not given any food, water or medical aid. People drank whatever water was in blood mixed puddles in the courtyard from the blown up water tank.
• When people begged for water some soldiers told them to drink the mixture of blood and urine on the ground. (Karnail Kaur, mother of 3 young children trapped in Ram Dass Serai)
• Many of the young men in the group of innocent unarmed civilians were then shot by the soldiers. I saw about 35 or 36 Sikhs lined up with their hands raised above their heads. And the major was about to order them to be shot. When I asked him for medical help, he got into a rage, tore my turban off my head, and ordered his men to shoot me. I turned back and fled, jumping over the bodies of the dead and injured, and saving my life crawling along the walls. I got to the room where Tohra and Sant Longowal were sitting and told them what I had seen. Sardar Karnail Singh Nag, who had followed me, also narrated what he had seen, as well as the killing of 35 to 36 young Sikhs by cannon fire. All of these young men were villagers. (Bhan Singh)
• Early on the sixth morning the army came into the Guru Ram Das Serai and ordered all those in the rooms to come out. We were taken into the courtyard. The men were separated from the women. We were also divided into old and young women and I was separated from the children, but I managed to get back to the old women. When we were sitting there, the army released 150 people from the basement. They were asked why they had not come out earlier. They said the door had been locked from the outside. They were asked to hold up their hands and then they were shot after 15 minutes. Other young men were told to untie their turbans. They were used to tie their hands behind their backs. The army hit them on the head with the butts of their rifles." (Ranbir Kaur, School Teacher)
• The young men and some other pilgrims were staying in Room Number 61. The army searched all the rooms of the Serai. Nothing objectionable was found from their room. Nor did the army find anything objectionable on their person. The army locked up 60 pilgrims in that room and shut not only the door but the window also. Electric supply was disconnected. The night between June 5th and June 6th was extremely hot. The locked-in young men felt very thirsty after some time, and loudly knocked on the door from inside to ask the army men on duty for water. They got abuses in return, but no water. The door was not opened. Feeling suffocated and extremely thirsty, the men inside began to faint and otherwise suffer untold misery. The door of the room was opened at 8 am on June 6th. By this time 55 out of the 60 had died. The remaining 5 were also semi-dead." (Sujjan Singh Margindpuri)
• By morning light, there is only sporadic sniper fire from the rubble of the Akal Takht. By late afternoon the army was firmly in control of the Temple complex and curfew was lifted for two hours to allow people who were still in hiding to come out. I went to the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) on 5th June around 7:30 in the evening because I had to ensure that religious ceremonies were performed. The moment I stepped on to the parikrama I stumbled across a body. Bullets were flying and I had to take shelter behind each and every pillar to reach the Darshani Deorhi. Another body was lying there. I ran a few yards and reached the Akal Takht. Night prayers start at Harmandir Sahib five minutes after they start at the Akal Takht. I wanted to find out if the path (recitation) had started there. I had a glimpse of Bhindranwale. We did not speak to each other. Around 7:45 I came out of the Akal Takht and ran into the Darshani Deorhi. I ran towards Harmandir Sahib, unmindful of the bullets flying past my ears. I began night prayers. Soon a colleague of mine, Giani Mohan Singh, joined me. Seeing the intensity of the fire we decided to close all the doors, barring the front door. Soon we completed all religious rites. We then took the Guru Granth Sahib to the top room to prevent any damage to the holy book. The Head Priest, Giani Sahib Singh, had given clear instructions that the Guru Granth Sahib under no circumstances was to be taken to the Akal Takht if the conditions were not right. (Giani Puran Singh)
• Looking through the window-pane from the first floor of the Harmandir Sahib, I saw a tank standing on the parikarma with its lights on. I thought for a moment that it was the fire brigade which had come to collect water from the sarovar (holy pool) to put out the fire which was raging in almost every room. A few minutes later my belief was shattered when I saw the vehicle emitting fire instead of putting it out. By 10:30 or so around 13 tanks had collected on the parikarma. They had come after crushing the staircase from the eastern wing where Guru Ram Das Serai, the Langer and the Teja Singh Samundari Hall are situated. One after another the cannon fire lit the sky. When the first shell hit the bottom of the Darshani Deorhi, creating a hole in it, I saw the room with the historic chandni (canopy) presented by Maharaja Ranjit Singh catching fire. One after another, the big bombs hit the Darshani Deorhi in quick succession. What was once a lovely building was now on fire. The Toshakhana (Treasury) was also on fire. Occasionally a bullet would hit the Harmandir Sahib. We were 27 people inside, mostly ragis (singers) and sevadars (temple servants).
• On the fifth night, the night of the real assault, mortars started throwing up plaster. My wife and I and my two daughters decided to go down from our flat on the first floor to the office, which is on the ground floor. At this point I thought of surrendering but I was told by a Bhindranwale man, 'One more step outside the complex and you are a dead man'. Faced with this threat to my entire family plus the insecurity of the office room, I decided to move down to a small basement where there was a fridge. An exhaust fan outlet in the basement proved a life saver. I could hear soldiers speaking outside and different instructions from their commanders. Next to the basement was another cubicle facing the Temple where a sewadar used to sleep. I heard the army drag out this man. He was shot. Since extremists had been using all possible openings as pill boxes and grenade launchers the soldiers decided to lob grenades into all such openings, including my fan outlet. The minute I heard the order we all moved under a staircase. Minutes later two grenades came in. The splinters took three inches away from most of the walls. But luckily we escaped. We spent the night under the staircase. Eventually at about 11 am on the 6th my wife noticed an officer standing outside. She called out to him to attract his attention and requested him to rescue us. She told him that she had two young daughters. The officer behaved decently and said, 'Don't worry. I too have two daughters. Nothing will happen to you. Stay put.' He organized chapattis, pickles and drinking water. He eventually let us out when curfew lifted. We had to step over dead bodies strewn everywhere. We were taken to the square in front of the main clock tower entrance. The minute the soldiers saw me, a male member of the group, they positioned their rifles on their shoulders with the barrels pointing at me. I think they were about to shoot me when a Brigadier who recognized me, intervened. We were then led by the soldiers across the parikrama to the library side. A lieutenant accompanied us. Upon reaching the other side he asked me to stand against the wall and lined up a firing squad. He asked me to say my prayers. I requested to say good-bye to my wife and the two daughters. At this point the Brigadier showed up again and shouted at the young officer, 'What the hell are you doing?' The officer said, 'Sir, I misunderstood your order. I thought this man was to be shot.' Now we were made to sit on the ground. My hands were tied behind my back. We were about 70 in that lot. All of us were told to keep our heads down. A slight movement of the head resulted in a sharp rifle butt. We spent the whole night sitting there. Outside the Temple complex the army troops were on a rampage, killing and looting surrounding houses of Sikhs. (Narinderjit Singh Nada, Temple Public Relations Officer).
• 6th June: After midnight tanks are used to break down the steps leading to the parkarma from the hostel side and an 8-wheeled Polish-built armoured personnel carrier makes it is way towards the Akal Takht. It is destroyed by a Chinese-made rocket propelled grenade launcher. Six or more Vijayanta tanks enter the temple complex crushing the delicate marble inlays of the parkarma and plow their way towards the Akal Takht. Orders arrive and the tanks start firing their large 105mm cannons equipped with high explosive squash-head shells into the Akal Takht. These shells are designed for hard targets like armour and fortifications. When the shells his a target, their heads spread or squash on the hard surface. Their fuses are arranged to allow a short delay between the impact and the shells igniting, so that a shock-wave passes through the target and a heavy slab of armour or masonry is forced away from the inside of the target armour or fortification. The effect on the Akal Takht, the most sacred of the five Takhts, is devastating. Over 80 shells are pumped into the sacred Gurdwara. The entire front of the Takht is destroyed and fires break out in many of the different rooms blackening the marble walls and wrecking the delicate decorations dating back to the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Marble inlays, plaster and mirror work, filigree partitions and priceless old wall paintings are all destroyed. The gold dome of the Akal Takht is also badly damaged by artillery fire. At one stage a 3.7 inch Howitzer gun is mounted on the roof of a building behind the shrine and fired a number of times at the beautiful dome. At the other end of the Temple complex on the easternmost side a battalion of the Kumaon Regiment were invading the hostel complex where many of the innocent pilgrims were in hiding as well as the temple administration staff. There was no water because the water tower had been destroyed and it was very hot. In the early hours of the morning of 6th June we took the holy book down and performed the religious rites that are performed every day, like maharaj da prakash karna (unfolding the holy book) and reciting hymns from the scriptures. The two side-doors were closed and the front and back doors were open. Bullets kept hitting the wall both inside and outside, ripping off the gold surface at various places. Soon after we finished reciting prayers one of our colleagues, Ragi Avtar Singh was hit between 10-11 AM. We pulled him into a corner. Another bullet came and hit the holy Granth Sahib. We have preserved this book. (Gurdial Singh, June 1984 de akhin dithe halat, Gurmat Parkash, reproduced in Sikh Phulwari, June 2018
• In the meanwhile the pounding of the Akal Takht was continuing. There was no let-up in the fire in other places either. We were thirsty and desperate for water. We crawled to the holy pool to get water for ourselves and for the wounded colleague.
• Around 5pm they announced on loudspeakers that those hiding in the Harmandir Sahib should come out and that they would not be shot dead. While myself and Giani Mohan Singh remained inside, others walked out with the arms above their heads."
• Over 300 bullet holes were counted in the Golden Temple itself.
• With the lifting of the curfew innocent Sikhs thought that by coming out from hiding they would now be safe. Sadly this was not the case.
• "On the way back to the hotel (afternoon of June 6th) I witnessed a scene at the Kotwali which is blood curdling. This is where some soldiers were kicking some of the 11 suspected terrorists as they knelt on their bare knees and crawled on the hot road surface." (Subhash Kirpekar, Journalist)
• "The people were taken out of their houses. Men's hands were tied with their turbans. Women's necks were sought to be asphyxiated with their plaits. Then they were shot in the chests. No quarter was shown to women, aged or children; in the eyes of the troops every Sikh was a terrorist. Those who survived died of thirst. Their houses were ransacked, and then put on fire. The area surrounding Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) was full of debris. What happened is beyond description of sight, hearing or words." (Giani Chet Singh)
• As night fell the Army troops were given the order to storm the remains of the Akal Takht and shoot on site anyone they found inside. The troops encounter little resistance and find dead bodies and the smell of death everywhere.
• 7 June 1984: In the early hours of the morning the troops discover the bodies of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his closest followers in the basement of the Akal Takht. "The Army officers in-charge ordered me to go home and I remained there until the morning of June 6 when I was summoned early in the morning. When I reached the kotwali [police station] near the temple, I saw the dead bodies of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Gen. Shabeg Singh, Thiara Singh and Amrik Singh lying there...I was asked to identify the bodies because I was familiar with all the dead men having often interacted with them as part of my duties as a police officer. The Army then requested me to arrange the cremations. We performed these, according to Sikh rites, at the nearby Gurudwara Shaheedan...A large majority of those who died inside the Golden Temple during Operation Bluestar were common devotees who had come to the shrine on June 3 on the occasion of the fifth Guru’s Martyrdom Day...Apart from Bhindranwale’s armed followers, I counted a little over 800 dead bodies inside the temple complex. My men and I were also tasked with clearing and cremating these bodies. Army and municipal officials helped transport them to the local cremation ground. While many innocents were killed in the crossfire between the Army and the militants, it is also true that the soldiers deliberately gunned down several devotees. You see they actually believed that anyone inside the temple was the ‘enemy.’ The soldiers had no notion of how they should tackle an unprecedented situation like the one that had developed inside the Golden Temple." (Apar Singh Bajwa, SP of Punjab Police)
• The day was spent in clean-up operations flushing out any remaining snipers and collecting the dead bodies. Soldiers were openly walking about the temple in their shoes, drinking alcohol as well as smoking. Blood and bodies were strewn all over the broken marble of the parikarma, with putrefying corpses floating in the sacred pool of nectar and the smell of death everywhere. The Darshani Deori the entrance gate of the Golden Temple which houses many priceless treasures was destroyed and looted. Although fighting had now died down, the central library complex was mysteriously burned down. Many priceless manuscripts, some in the Gurus own handwriting were lost forever. A situation which could have been resolved without a shot being fired was allowed to deteriorate to the point where the sacred sanctity of a place of worship was desecrated in the most brutal way with death and destruction. In addition to the followers of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, thousands of innocent pilgrims who had gathered to celebrate a religious festival and those who came to surrender peacefully in support of the agitation also lost their lives in the attack.
• The Akal Takht, the symbolic seat of supreme Sikh temporal authority was reduced to rubble. Gurdwara Darbar Sahib was damaged with over 300 bullets. The Sikh Reference Library with precious hand written manuscripts of the Gurus was burned to the ground. Aportion of the Temple treasury Toshakhana with priceless historical artifacts of Maharaja Ranjit Singh was also burned.(Bhan Singh, Secretary of S.G.P.C.)
• "They cut our electricity and water supplies. It was very hot in the rooms. There was no water. We had only two plastic buckets of water. Longowal had to place two people as guards over the buckets. Many people would squeeze their undershirts to drink their sweat to quench their thirst."]
• Around 1:00 am the Army entered the hostel and administrative buildings and ordered everyone out and made them sit in the courtyard of the Guru Ram Das Hostel. There were about 250 people who came out. Prithipal Singh (Sevadar, Akal Rest House)
• " At 2 a.m. on June 6 the Army people came to the Rest House. They tore off all my clothes, stripped me naked, my kirpan was snatched, my head gear (patta) was untied to tie up my hands behind my back. They caught me by my hair and took me along with five others - who were all pilgrims - to the ruins of the water tank, there we were told, "don't move or you'll be shot." They kept hitting us with the rifle butts. Then a Major came and ordered a soldier, shoot them, then shouted at us, "You must be Bhindranwale's Chelas? You want Khalistan? I said "I am here to do my duty. I have nothing to do with all this." "Six of us were in a line facing the Major, when a Pahari soldier started shooting from one end, killing four of us (with 3 bullets each). As my turn was coming, suddenly a Sikh Officer turned up and ordered, "Stop Shooting". Thus I was saved. (Bhan Singh)
• "Suddenly there was a big explosion. All hell broke loose. It was pitch dark. People started running back into the verandah and the rooms. I and Abhinashi Singh were sitting next to Gurcharan Singh, the former Secretary of the Akali Dal whom Bhindranwale accused of murdering Sodhi. Gurcharan was shot as he tried to run inside. We realized that soldiers were shooting at us. They thought someone from among the crowd had exploded the grenade. But it was probably thrown by extremists on the water tank overlooking the Guru Ram Das Serai (Hostel). We ran to Tohra's room and told Longowal what was happening. Longowal came out and shouted at the Major. He said, 'Don't shoot these people. They are not extremists. They are employees of the S.G.P.C.' The Major then ordered his men to stop shooting. Later in the morning we counted at least seventy dead bodies in the compound. There were women and children too."
• Among the dead were 35 women and 5 children. The survivors were made to sit in the courtyard of the Guru Ram Das Hostel until curfew was lifted the next evening. They were not given any food, water or medical aid. People drank whatever water was in puddles in the courtyard from the blown up water tank. (Karnail Kaur, mother of 3 young children)
• "When people begged for water some soldiers told them to drink the mixture of blood and urine on the ground."
• Many of the young men in the group of innocent unarmed civilians were then shot by the soldiers.(Bhan Singh)
• "I saw about 35 or 36 Sikhs lined up with their hands raised above their heads. And the major was about to order them to be shot. When I asked him for medical help, he got into a rage, tore my turban off my head, and ordered his men to shoot me. I turned back and fled, jumping over the bodies of the dead and injured, and saving my life crawling along the walls. I got to the room where Tohra and Sant Longowal were sitting and told them what I had seen. Sardar Karnail Singh Nag, who had followed me, also narrated what he had seen, as well as the killing of 35 to 36 young Sikhs by cannon fire. All of these young men were villagers."(Ranbir Kaur, School Teacher)
• "Early on the sixth morning the army came into the Guru Ram Das Serai and ordered all of those in the rooms to come out. We were taken into the courtyard. The men were separated from the women. We were also divided into old and young women and I was separated from the children, but I managed to get back to the old women. When we were sitting there the army released 150 people from the basement. They were asked why they had not come out earlier. They said the door had been locked from the outside. They were asked to hold up their hands and then they were shot after 15 minutes. Other young men were told to untie their turbans. They were used to tie their hands behind their backs. The army hit them on the head with the butts of their rifles."
• 
  
• (Sujjan Singh Margindpuri)
• "The young men and some other pilgrims were staying in Room Number 61. The army searched all the rooms of the Serai. Nothing objectionable was found from their room. Nor did the army find anything objectionable on their persons. The army locked up 60 pilgrims in that room and shut not only the door but the window also. Electric supply was disconnected. The night between June 5th and June 6th was extremely hot. The locked-in young men felt very thirsty after some time, and loudly knocked on the door from inside to ask the army men on duty for water. They got abuses in return, but no water. The door was not opened. Feeling suffocated and extremely thirsty, the men inside began to faint and otherwise suffer untold misery. The door of the room was opened at 8 am on June 6th. By this time 55 out of the 60 had died. The remaining 5 were also semi-dead."
• 
  
• By morning light, there is only sporadic sniper fire from the rubble of the Akal Takht. By late afternoon the army was firmly in control of the Temple complex and curfew was lifted for two hours to allow people who were still in hiding to come out.
• 
  
• (Giani Puran Singh)
• "I went to the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) on 5th June around 7:30 in the evening because I had to ensure that religious ceremonies were performed. The moment I stepped on to the parkarma I stumbled across a body. Bullets were flying and I had to take shelter behind each and every pillar to reach the Darshani Deorhi. Another body was lying there. I ran a few yards and reached the Akal Takht. Night prayers start at Harmandir Sahib five minutes after they start at the Akal Takht. I wanted to find out if the path (recitation) had started there. I had a glimpse of Bhindranwale. We did not speak to each other. Around 7:45 I came out of the Akal Takht and ran into the Darshani Deorhi. I ran towards Harmandir Sahib, unmindful of the bullets flying past my ears. I began night prayers. Soon a colleague of mine, Giani Mohan Singh, joined me. Seeing the intensity of the fire we decided to close all the doors, barring the front door. Soon we completed all religious rites. We then took the Guru Granth Sahib to the top room to prevent any damage to the holy book. The Head Priest, Giani Sahib Singh, had given clear instructions that under no circumstances was the Guru Granth Sahib to be taken to the Akal Takht if the conditions were not right.
• 
  
• Looking through the window-pane from the first floor of the Harmandir Sahib, I saw a tank standing on the parkarma with its lights on. I thought for a moment that it was the fire brigade come to collect water from the srowar (holy pool) to put out the fire which was raging in almost every room. A few minutes later my belief was shattered when I saw the vehicle emitting fire instead of putting it out. By 10:30 or so around 13 tanks had collected on the parkarma. They had come after crushing the staircase from the eastern wing where Guru Ram Das Serai, the Langer and the Teja Singh Samundari Hall are situated. One after another the cannon fire lit the sky. When the first shell hit the bottom of the Darshani Deorhi, creating a hole in it, I saw the room with the historic chandni (canopy) presented by Maharaja Ranjit Singh catching fire. One after another the big bombs hit the Darshani Deorhi in quick succession, and what was once a lovely building was now on fire. The Toshakhana (Treasury) was also on fire. Occasionally a bullet would hit the Harmandir Sahib. We were 27 people inside, mostly ragis (singers) and sevadars (temple servants).
• In the early hours of the morning of 6th June we took the holy book down and performed the religious rites that are performed every day, like maharaj da prakash karna (unfolding the holy book) and reciting hymns from the scriptures. The two side-doors were closed and the front and back doors were open. Bullets kept hitting the wall both inside and outside, ripping off the gold surface at various places. Soon after we finished reciting prayers one of our colleagues, Ragi Avtar Singh was hit. We pulled him into a corner. Another bullet came and hit the holy Granth Sahib. We have preserved this book.
• In the meanwhile the pounding of the Akal Takht was continuing. There was no let-up in the fire in other places either. We were thirsty and desperate for water. We crawled to the holy pool to get water for ourselves and for the wounded colleague.
• 
  
• Around 5pm they announced on loudspeakers that those hiding in the Harmandir Sahib should come out and that they would not be shot dead. While myself and Giani Mohan Singh remained inside, others walked out with the arms above their heads."
• 
  
• Over 300 bullet holes were counted in the Golden Temple itself.
• 
  
• With the lifting of the curfew innocent Sikhs thought that by coming out from hiding they would now be safe. Sadly this was not the case.
• 
  
• (Narinderjit Singh Nada, Temple Public Relations Officer)
• "On the fifth night, the night of the real assault, mortars started throwing up plaster. My wife and I and my two daughters decided to go down from our flat on the first floor to the office, which is on the ground floor. At this point I thought of surrendering but I was told by a Bhindranwale man, 'One more step outside the complex and you are a dead man'. Faced with this threat to my entire family plus the insecurity of the office room, I decided to move down to a small basement where there was a fridge. An exhaust fan outlet in the basement proved a life saver. I could hear soldiers speaking outside and different instructions from their commanders. Next to the basement was another cubicle facing the Temple where a sewadar used to sleep. I heard the army drag out this man. He was shot. Since extremists had been using all possible openings as pill boxes and grenade launchers the soldiers decided to lob grenades into all such openings, including my fan outlet. The minute I heard the order we all moved under a staircase. Minutes later two grenades came in. The splinters took three inches away from most of the walls. But luckily we escaped. We spent the night under the staircase. Eventually at about 11 am on the 6th my wife noticed an officer standing outside. She called out to him to attract his attention and requested him to rescue us. She told him that she had two young daughters. The officer behaved decently and said, 'Don't worry I too have two daughters. Nothing will happen to you. Stay put.' He organized chapattis, pickles and drinking water. He eventually let us out when curfew lifted.
• We had to step over dead bodies strewn everywhere. We were taken to the square in front of the main clock tower entrance. The minute the soldiers saw me, a male member of the group, they positioned their rifles on their shoulders with the barrels pointing at me. I think they were about to shoot me when a brigadier who recognized me intervened. We were then led by soldiers across the parkarma to the library side. A lieutenant accompanied us. Upon reaching the other side he asked me to stand against the wall and lined up a firing squad. He asked me to say my prayers. I requested to say good-bye to my wife and the two daughters. At this point the brigadier showed up again and shouted at the young officer, 'What the hell are you doing!' The officer said, 'Sir, I misunderstood your order. I thought this man was to be shot.'
• Now we were made to sit on the ground. My hands were tied behind my back. We were about 70 in that lot. All of us were told to keep our heads down. A slight movement of the head resulted in a sharp rifle butt. We spent the whole night sitting there."
• Outside the Temple complex the army troops were on a rampage, killing and looting surrounding houses of Sikhs.
• (Subhash Kirpekar, Journalist)
• "On the way back to the hotel (afternoon of June 6th) I witnessed a scene at the Kotwali which is blood curdling. This is where some soldiers were kicking some of the 11 suspected terrorists as they knelt on their bare knees and crawled on the hot road surface.(Giani Chet Singh)
• "The people were taken out of their houses. Men's hands were tied with their turbans. Women's necks were sought to be asphyxiated with their plaits. Then they were shot in the chests. No quarter was shown to women, aged or children; in the eyes of the troops every Sikh was a terrorist. Those who survived died of thirst. Their houses were ransacked, and then put on fire. The area surrounding Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) was full of debris. What happened is beyond description of sight, hearing or words."
• As night fell the Army troops were given the order to storm the remains of the Akal Takht and shoot on site anyone they found inside. The troops encounter little resistance and find dead bodies and the smell of death everywhere.
• Thursday June 7th : In the early hours of the morning the troops discover the bodies of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his closest followers in the basement of the Akal Takht.(Apar Singh Bajwa, SP of Punjab Police)
• "The Army officers in-charge ordered me to go home and I remained there until the morning of June 6 when I was summoned early in the morning. When I reached the kotwali [police station] near the temple, I saw the dead bodies of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Gen. Shabeg Singh, Thiara Singh and Amrik Singh lying there...I was asked to identify the bodies because I was familiar with all the dead men having often interacted with them as part of my duties as a police officer. The Army then requested me to arrange the cremations. We performed these, according to Sikh rites, at the nearby Gurudwara Shaheedan...A large majority of those who died inside the Golden Temple during Operation Bluestar were common devotees who had come to the shrine on June 3 on the occasion of the fifth Guru’s Martyrdom Day...Apart from Bhindranwale’s armed followers, I counted a little over 800 dead bodies inside the temple complex. My men and I were also tasked with clearing and cremating these bodies. Army and municipal officials helped transport them to the local cremation ground. While many innocents were killed in the crossfire between the Army and the militants, it is also true that the soldiers deliberately gunned down several devotees. You see they actually believed that anyone inside the temple was the ‘enemy.’ The soldiers had no notion of how they should tackle an unprecedented situation like the one that had developed inside the Golden Temple."
• The day was spent in clean up operations flushing out any remaining snipers and collecting the dead bodies. Soldiers were openly walking about the temple in their shoes, drinking alcohol as well as smoking. Blood and bodies were strewn all over the broken marble of the parkarma. With putrefying corpses floating in the sacred pool of nectar and the smell of death everywhere.
• The Darshani Deori the entrance gate of the Golden Temple which houses many priceless treasures was destroyed and looted. Although fighting had now died down, the central library complex was mysteriously burned down. Many priceless manuscripts, some in the Gurus own handwriting were lost forever.
• Aftermath : The number of people who lost their lives will never be known. The Army refused to let the Red Cross enter the complex and cremated the dead before the bodies could be identified or claimed by their families. The Amritsar municipal sweepers refused to clear the dead bodies away but were eventually persuaded by offers of rum and being allowed to strip the bodies of all valuables. They piled the dead into garbage trucks and unceremoniously cremated them. Family members were not allowed by the army to claim the remains or perform any traditional funeral rites. It is clear that thousands lost their lives in the Temple complex.
• Civilians Dead, injured and imprisoned
• How many died?
• Indian Government white paper category “civilian/terrorist”: 493
• AP, Reuter and New York Times (June 11, 1984) 1,000
• Author Mark Tully's (Amritsar, Mrs. Ghandi's last battle) 2,093
• Amritsar crematorium worker 3,300
• Author Chand Joshi (Bhindranwale: Myth and Reality) 5,000
• Eyewitnesses 8,000
• Militants killed ”
• Government White Paper 200, 35 bodies in Akal Takht 200
• A.I.S.S.F. Member – 100 fighters June 5th 100
• S.S. Bhagowalia, V.P. Association for Democratic Rights 140-150
• Indian Government White Paper
• Own troops killed 83
• Own troops wounded 249
• Civilians/terrorists killed 493
• Terrorists and other injured 86
• Civilians/terrorists apprehended 1,592
• Total number of troops taking part in the attack is estimated at around 1,000 (Mark Tulley),
• Child Prisoners
• 22 children between the ages of 2 and 16 years old were detained among the 1,592 terrorists apprehended by the army according to the government White Paper and on the “most dangerous terrorists list”. They languished in jail suffering torture for over a year until social worker Kamala Devi petitioned the Supreme Court for their release from Ludihana jail.
• Prisoner Mehrban Singh, Age 12
• “We were repeatedly asked if we were Bhindranwale’s men. They hit us at Ludhiana jail, jabbing fingers into our necks, wanting us to confess that we had been filling magazines with bullets for Bhindranwale’s men.”
• Prisoner Shamsher Singh, Age 11
• “We were given very dirty food in the army camp. The food was better in the jail. We were regularly beaten in the jail. We were told we were Bhindranwale’s people and they wanted to know about Bhindranwale’s friends. They asked us where Bhindranwale kept his arms.”
• Continuing Violence
• Parallel to Operation Blue Star, another military operation called Operation Woodrose took place. Across Punjab the Indian Army attacked 42 to 74 Gurdwaras resulting in high casualties at Moga, Mukatsar, Faridkot, Patiala, Ropar and Chowk Mehta. The exact number of Sikhs killed are not know but 257 people were shot and killed during the storming of just a single Gurdwara in the operation, Gurdwara Dukhniwaran Sahib in Patiala.
• On October 31, 1984 Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was shot and killed by two bodyguards, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh as revenge for Operation Blue Star. Over the next four days, as many as 3100 Sikhs were killed in retaliatory attacks, mainly in Delhi by Hindu mobs said to be organized and coordinated by Indian government officials. As many as 50,000 Sikhs were left homeless as their houses were burned to the ground.
• In the 10 years following 1984 over 70,000 people were detained under emergency terrorism legislation (TADA), yet only 1 percent of them were eventually convicted of a crime.
• Case of Sukhwinder Singh, 23 years old
• Report for the Committee on Disappearances in Punjab
• On 13 December 1991, Sukhwinder Singh accompanied by Lakhwinder Singh went to Munda Pind village on a tractor trolly to do some shopping. While returning, they were apprehended by the police of Munda Pind police post and handed over to Goindwal Sahib police. SHO Tegh Bahadur of Goindwal Sahib Police station and head constable Rachhpal Singh personally supervised Sukhwinder’s interrogation under torture during the course of his illegal detention for five days. The family members regularly visited him in the police station and served him food. Gian Singh met his son at Goindwal police station for the last time on 16 December 1991. Gian Singh, along with several other village elders had been talking to SHO Tegh Bahadur Singh to get Sukhwinder released from his custody. The SHO demanded a bribe of Rs 200,000 for Sukhwinder’s release. Gian Singh, a small farmer, was unable to raise such a large amount and beseeched the SHO to release his son for Rs. 50,000 but the SHO turned down the offer. Gian Singh was still struggling to raise the amount, demanded by the SHO for his son’s release when on 19 December 1991, several Punjabi newspapers reported the killing of Sukhwinder Singh and another unidentified militant in a supposed armed encounter with the police force. The cremation was carried out without the family’s knowledge.
• Rebuilding: Kar Seva is the ceremonial cleaning of the sacred pool is normally undertaken every 50 years. A special Kar Seva was undertaken in 1985 to replace some of the damage. Tens of thousands of Sikhs participated and the sacred pool of nectar was completely drained and cleaned. The Akal Takht has been entirely rebuilt. The marble of the parkarma has been replaced in sections with new marble. Repair work on Harmandir Sahib included reguilding the temple dome and walls with new gold. The Ramgharia Bungas have been repaired and Teja Singh Samundri Hall has been left, pockmarked with bullet holes as a reminder of the tragedy
• Reasons for the fiasco
  
  • Continuous rift at political level between Giani Zail Singh (as Home Minister and President of India) and Darbara Singh (Chief Minister of Punjab)
  • Development of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala by Giani Zail Singh and helping him escape from arrest. As a result there was never any FIR against the Sant.
  • Decision to give Ravi and Beas waters to Haryana and Rajasthan which was totally illogical.
  • Direct control by the centre bye-passing the state officials occasionally causing lack of coordination and spiritual amalgamation in the operation.
  • Advisors to the Governor lacked political approach and had poor communication with state official causing a rift at the top level.
  • No briefing was taken from the Intelligence Wing of the State Police on eve of the operation. The IG (CID) HS Randhawa had the required information about Darbar sahib complex and the terrorists inside however this was not obtained.
  • Lack of time for preparation of the 9 Infantry Division (Informed on only 2 days before the move to Amritsar). They had only a sand model discussion and some rehearsals at Chakrata before move.
  • Discontent among 15 Infantry Division specially at the GOC level for having given operation to 9 Infantry Division instead of the holding division.

 

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Giani Zail Singh​

Gyani Zail Singh (5 May 1916 – 25 December 1994), was the Chief Minister of Punjab (1972-1977), Home-Minister of India (1980-24 July 1982) and President of India (25 July 1982 – 25 July 1987). As Chief Minister of Punjab, he arranged massive religious functions while inaugurating Guru Gobind Singh Marg primarily to counter Akali Dal influence. He is projected as the main propagater of Sant Jarnal Singh Bhindrawale the maion figure of Operation Blue Star to counter Darbara Singh and the Akalis. During his period of presidency Prime Minister of India Smt Indira Gandhi’s Home Minister, he declared in Parliament that there is no case against Bhindranwale in relation to murder of Lala Jagat Narain. He visited Sri Darbar Sahib immediately after the Op Blue Star on 8 June 1984.​

He later apologised for his role and was exonerated by Panj Piaras at Aka Takhat. Mrs Indiar Gandhi, the then Prime Minister was assassinated during his period of Presidency and he was attacked by angry mob at AIIMS. He gave oath of Office of Prime Minister to Rajiv Gandhi on the day of murder. As anti-Sikh riots erupted the same day of murder and continued for three days killing Sikhs all over India and burning their properties, laid in limbo. These riots however caused immense damage to the secularity of India. When the author met him in 1985 and put a question as to why he allowed the Operation Blue Star, he told that he never permitted it. No one asked him either. Moreover, at that time he was in Assam at Gurdwara Dhubri. He died of injuries in car accident on 25 December 1994 (aged 78) in Chandigarh.

Indira Gandhi
Smt. Indira Gandhi (19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984), was the Prime Minister of India between January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 until her assassination in October 1984. The operation Blue Star was planned and executed under her direct directions. As Prime Minister, Gandhi was known for her political intransigency and unprecedented centralisation of power. She went to war with Pakistan in 1971 (2 Dec to 16 Dec 1971) and created Bangladesh. Citing Janta movement as creating fissiparous tendencies, Gandhi instituted a state of emergency from 1975 to 1977 where basic civil liberties were suspended and the press was censored. Widespread atrocities were carried out during the emergency. In 1980, she again returned to power. In the 1977 elections, a coalition led by the Sikh-majority Akali Dal came to power in the northern Indian state of Punjab. In an effort to split the Akali Dal and gain popular support among the Sikhs, Indira Gandhi's Congress helped bring the orthodox religious leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale to prominence in Punjab politics.[1][2] Later, Bhindranwale's organisation Damdami Taksal became embroiled in violence with another religious sect called the Sant Nirankari Mission, and he was accused of instigating the murder of Jagat Narain, the owner of Punjab Kesari newspaper.[3] After being arrested in this matter, Bhindranwale was interrogated but was not found involved hence released once the Home Minister stated his innocence in Parliament. Bhandranwale however, was hurt and disassociated himself from Congress and joined hands with the Akali Dal.[4] In July 1982, he led the campaign for the implementation of the Anandpur Resolution, which demanded greater autonomy for the Sikh-majority state. Meanwhile, a small section of the Sikhs, including some of Bhindranwale's followers, turned to militancy after being targeted by government officials and police in support of the Resolution.[5] In 1982, Bhindranwale and approximately 200 armed followers moved into a guest house called the Guru Nanak Niwas, in the precinct of the Golden Temple.[6] By 1983, the Temple complex had become a fort for a large number of militants.[7] The Statesman later reported that light machine guns and semi-automatic rifles were known to have been brought into the compound.[8] On 23 April 1983, the Punjab Police Deputy Inspector General A. S. Atwal was shot dead as he left the Temple compound. The following day, after the murder, Harchand Singh Longowal (then President of Shiromani Akali Dal) confirmed the involvement of Bhindranwale in the murder.[9] Indira Gandhi almost gave the go-ahead to a covert RAW mission to kidnap Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in February 1984 in an Helicopter Operation Sundown under RN Kao her security advisor from Sarsawa Airport but was not carried out fearing casualities. It was months before she sent the Army into the Golden Temple in 1984. [10]

After several futile negotiations, Indira Gandhi ordered the Indian army in June 1984 to enter the Golden Temple in order to remove Bhindranwale and his supporters from the complex. The army used heavy artillery, including tanks, in the action code-named Operation Blue Star. The operation badly damaged or destroyed parts of the Temple complex, including the Akal Takht shrine and the Sikh library. It also led to the deaths of a large number of Sikh fighters and innocent pilgrims. The number of casualties remain disputed with estimates ranging from many hundreds to many thousands [11]

Gandhi was accused of using the attack for political ends. Dr. Harjinder Singh Dilgeer stated that Indira Gandhi attacked the temple complex to present herself as a great hero in order to win general elections planned towards the end of 1984. [12] There was fierce criticism of the action by Sikhs in India and overseas.[13] There was also incidents of mutiny by Sikh soldiers in the aftermath of the attack.[11]After Operation Blue Star, she was assassinated by Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, her own bodyguards on 31 October 1984. Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, were both shot by other security guards. Satwant Singh recovered from his injuries and was executed along with Kehar Singh after being convicted of murder. Kehar Singh’s was however acquitted by Supreme Court but he was hanged by then. After the assisination of Smt. Indira Gandhi, the hooligans mainly inspired by Congress leaders started Sikh genocide where more than 3000 Sikhs were killed, many thousands injured their properties destroyed making thousands of them homeless all over India. Congress leaders Lalit Makan (MP), Sajjan Kuman (MP), Arjun Das (Counsellor), HKL Bhagat (MP & Minister) etc. were named in later inquiries. Lalit Makan and Arjun Das were gunned in 1985 while Sajjan Kumar with other ex MLA and Councillor have been given life imprisonment in December 2018 after a unusually long follow up of the case.​

References:

1. Gus Martin (15 June 2011). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Terrorism, Second Edition. SAGE. pp. 543–545. ISBN 978-1-4129-8016-6. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
2. C. Christine Fair; Sumit Ganguly (29 September 2008). Treading on Hallowed Ground: Counterinsurgency Operations in Sacred Spaces. Oxford University Press. pp. 39–40. ISBN 978-0-19-534204-8. Retrieved 11 October2012.
3. William Gould (30 November 2011). Religion and Conflict in Modern South Asia. Cambridge University Press. p. 237. ISBN 978-0-521-87949-1. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
4. Harnik Deol (2 October 2012). Religion and Nationalism in India: The Case of the Punjab. Psychology Press. p. 105. ISBN 978-0-415-20108-7. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
5. Martin E. Marty; R. Scott Appleby (1 May 2004). Fundamentalisms Comprehended. University of Chicago Press. p. 454. ISBN 978-0-226-50888-7. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
6. Singh, Tavleen. "Prophet of Hate:J S Bhindranwale". India Today. Archived from the original on 20 June 2008. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
7. Mark Tully and Satish Jacob, Amritsar – Mrs. Gandhi's Last Battle (Calcutta: Rupa & Co. by arrangement with Pan Books, London, 1985)

8. Kuldip Nayar and Khushwant Singh, Tragedy of Punjab, Vision Books, New Delhi, 1984, page 79.

9. Longowal said "Whenever the situation becomes ripe for settlement, some violent incident takes place. I know Bhindranwale is behind the murder of the DIG", "(The person behind the murder is) The one who is afraid of losing his seat of power"Indian Express. 27 April 1983. interview with Longowal.

10. The untold story before Operation Bluestar

11. Guidry, John; Kennedy,, Michael D.; Zald, Mayer N. (Editors) (2000). Globalizations and social movements : culture, power, and the transnational public sphere (Reprint. ed.). Ann Arbor, Michigan: Univ. of Michigan Press. p. 319. ISBN 9780472067213.

12."Indira Gandhi had since long been planning for an attack on Darbar Sahib..." Harjinder Singh Dilgeer (2012). Sikh History in 10 Volumes. vol 7, p. 168; 196-197.

13. Mandair, Arvind-pal Singh; Shackle, Christopher; Singh, Gurharpal (Editors) (2001). Sikh religion, culture and ethnicity. Routledge. pp. 169–171. ISBN 9781136846342.

Rajiv Gandhi​

Shri Rajiv Gandhi (20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991) was the 7th Prime Minister of India from 1984 to 1989 after the assassination of his mother Indira Gandhi. He became to become the youngest Indian Prime Minister at the age of 40. His brother Sanjay Gandhi an MP; despite died in an aeroplane crash in 1980 he was brought in to politics when he won his brother's Parliamentary seat of Amethi and became a member of the Lok Sabha. For political grooming, he was made a general secretary of the Congress party and given significant responsibility in organising the 1982 Asian Games. He became advisor of Indira Gandhi during the negotiations with Akalis in Punjab and was part of the negotiations. During Operation Blue Star he was at the top of the advisors. After Smt Gandhi’s assassination on 31 October he was solemnised the office of Prime Minister of India. Anti-Sikh riots spread all over India and there was a mass massacre of Sikhs for 3 days at the start of taking. His remarks on anti-Sikh riots, “

are often quoted to show his seriousness towards controlling the riots. The Sikhs felt alienated, but taking sympathetic view of the pliet fo the Sikh masses he started a vitriolic campaign against Sikhs to gain sympathy for this election resulting in 411 seats out of 542 seats for the congress. He indeed forgot the Rajdharam as did his mother. Rajiv Gandhi's period in office was mired in controversies; perhaps the greatest crises were the mass massacre of the Sikhs, the Bhopal disaster, and the Shah Bano case and failed intervention in Sri Lanka in 1988 In mid-1987 the Bofor Scandal damaged his corruption-free image and resulted in a major defeat for his party in the 1989 election. Gandhi remained Congress President until the elections in 1991. While campaigning for the elections, he was assassinated by a suicide bomber from the LTTE.

Darbara Singh​

Darbara Singh (10 February 1916 — 10 March 1990) was appointed as Chief Minister of Punjab on 17 February 1980 which he remained till 1983.[3][4]. His rivalry with Giani Zail Singh is reported to be one of the reason of Punjab crisis. In August 1980 he placed in the House three interim reports of the Justice Gurdev Singh Commission which inquired into the charges of favouritism, corruption, and excesses against Zail Singh and his men when they ruled Punjab. Giani Zail Singh, then the Union home minister was badly bruised. The judge has not only indicted him severely for favouritism, but also for not cooperating with the commission and levelling "baseless, malicious and false" allegations against the commission. The Charges: The severest indictments of Zail Singh came in regard to the appointments made by him to key posts. Two of them relate to the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC). Of them the judge said: "The paramount interests of the country and administration depend primarily upon the proper and fair selection of its personnel. This can be ensured only if the appointments to the Public Service Commission themselves are above board." The indictments: Elevation of Niranjan Singh Mitha from the post of a mere public relations officer in the Punjab State Electricity Board to the membership of the PPSC: the promotion of J. R. Bansal as chairman of the PPSC over the claims of Air Marshal Shiv Dev Singh. Bansal was then made a member of the Union Public Service Commission: Appointment of Ajaib Singh Machhaki as administrative member of the Punjab State Electricity Board "without even consulting the irrigation and power minister and deputy minister." Irregular appointment of Udham Singh as the state's director of public prosecutions "solely to take him out of the disciplinary jurisdiction of the High Court" where he was facing an inquiry.The commission which found a number of complaints of illegal detentions and high-handedness valid, mentioned the case of one Thakur Hari Singh, class four employees' union leader at Amritsar. The then Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar, J. D. Khanna, found it convenient to have him detained for months in the mental hospital with the help of Dr Baldev Parkash, the then medical superintendent of the hospital. The judge expressed surprise that Hari Singh had maintained his sanity in spite of this. Darbara Singh asserted that his government would follow up the report on the basis of what an administrative committee - which includes the home secretary, the inspector general of police, and the legal remembrancer - recommend. Earlier darbara Singh had refused to accommodate even one of the Giani's men in his cabinet. Zail Singh, was desperate to prevent Darbara Singh from eroding his popular image in Punjab, more so with his position getting increasingly shaky in New Delhi. (5) The report also included the excesses of Emergency period. This started a long rivalry which added to the turmoil in Punjab and encouraged development of Sant Bhindranwale whom Giani Zail Singh projected more to subdue Darbara Singh. Darbara Singh opposed this strongly. 1980s became a turbulent time in the history of Punjab marked by an increase in violence and demand for a separate Sikh homeland adding to the feud of the two. During this time Farbara Singh government was grappling with the rising militancy in the state. There was a spate of assassinations, prime among them being the daylight murder of Lala Jagat Narain, Head of the Punjab Kesri group of newspapers of Jalandhar. This was followed by the assassination of DIG of Punjab Police Jalandhar range Avtar Singh Atwal outside the Golden Temple Complex. Due to increase in terrorist violence, the tenure of the ministry was cut short and the Darbara Singh ministry resigned and President Rule was imposed in the state under Art.356 of Indian Constitution on 6 June 1983. He died on 13 March 1990 (aged 74) at Chandigarh,

References

1. Punjab (India). Legislature. Legislative Assembly. Committee of Privileges (1968). Report. p. 32. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
2. "Rajya Sabha 'Brief Biographical Sketch 1952-20033" (PDF). Rajya Sabha. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
3. Atul Kohli (14 July 2014). India's Democracy: An Analysis of Changing State-Society Relations. Princeton University Press. pp. 188–. ISBN 978-1-4008-5951-1. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
4.Subhash Chander Arora (1 January 1990). President's Rule in Indian States: A Study of Punjab. Mittal Publications. pp. 65–. ISBN 978-81-7099-234-9. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
5. India Today, Feud between Punjab CM Darbara Singh and Union Minister Zail Singh rages in public August 15, 1980 updated: December 4, 2014 13:10 IST

Rameshwar Nath Kao
Rameshwar Nath Kao (May 10, 1918 - January 20, 2002) was a spymaster and the first chief of India's external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) from its founding in 1969 to 1977.[1] He held the position of Secretary (Research) in the Cabinet Secretariat of the Government of India, which has been held by all R&AW directors since. He had also, during the course of his long career, served as the personal security chief to Prime Minister Nehru and as security adviser to Rajiv Gandhi. He was the key advisor to Indira Gandhi during Operation Blue Star. He also founded the Aviation Research Centre (ARC) and the Joint Intelligence Committee. -Rameshwar Nath Kao, built the external intelligence agency, RAW, in 1968 and used it to train Mukti Bahini guerrillas during the Bangladesh war in 1971. He had returned to government as Mrs Gandhi's senior aide in 1981 and was her de facto national security adviser before and during the Operation Blue Star. He was also the key adviser on the Punjab problem on Security matters.

On the advice of R N Kao Indira Gandhi almost gave the go-ahead to a covert RAW mission ‘Sundown’ to kidnap Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale planned in February 1984 with the assistance of British intelligence but dropped in April 1984 for fear of large number of causalities, months before she sent the Army into the Golden Temple in 1984. The details of the planned operation are given separately.
PV Narsimha Rao
Pamulaparti Venkata Narasimha Rao (28 June 1921 – 23 December 2004) was an Indian lawyer and politician who served as the 9th Prime Minister of India from 1991 to 1996.[3] As a Foreign Minister he was the chief negotiator and advisor on Punjab Affairs of Indira Gandhi with Akali Dal just before Operation Blue star even though he was not the Home Minister. During Operation Blue Star he helped Indira Gandhi from the initial stage of planning and during the operations. He is well known for his stance in Babri Masjid Demolition and for his silent role to allow holocaust of Sikhs all over India as a Home Minister.

 

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9. Missing 1984 Sikh Manuscripts in Question​

The Library built over several decades drew upon almost five centuries’ Sikh literature from various sources containing much of the most precious heritage of the Sikh community. Among its contents were priceless handwritten birs of Guru Granth; recensions of Dasam Granth, hukamnamas and early Sikh literature dating back from 16th century to many gifts deposited by the Sikh sovereign Maharajah Ranjit Singh and other Sikh princes during the 19th century. How the Library, alleged to have survived three days of intensive fighting, then caught fire with contentious claims that its contents were taken away by the army -some of these were returned by the government of India while much is yet unaccounted for, has led to almost continuous controversy since June 1984. The loss of much of Sikh Reference Library is now part of painful memory of India’s callous disregard for a community’s historical heritage with no resolution as to what happened to its contents.

Forthy years have passed since the Sikh Manuscripts were taken away from Sikh Reference Library, Harmandir Sahib, but their where about still remains a matter of discussion. The Defence Minister of India Shri A.K. Anthony denied in Parliament that the Army possessed any manuscripts or article taken away from Harmandar Sahib during Operation Blue Star in 1984. Countering the claim, SGPC President Sardar Avtar Singh Makkar condemned the statement as a lie and demanded the resignation of the Defence Minister.

Following questions emerge out of this controversy.
1. Did Army collect and take away the documents and articles?
2. Did it return these documents and articles to SGPC?
3. If SGPC did not receive these documents and articles, then where are these now?
4. If SGPC received these documents and articles; why these are not with them?
5. If documents and articles are not with them; who is responsible for taking these away?

As these questions are very important for Sikhs, Army as well as the CBI, it is very important to know the facts.
Immediately after Operation Blue Star, the rumors were spread that the manuscripts, books, and articles in Sikh Reference Library were all destroyed in fire in the evening of 6 June 1984 and the ashes were handed over to S. Joginder Singh Duggal in-charge Sikh Reference Library on 9 June 1984 as a token. However, later some Sikhs posted in Delhi leaked the information that ‘Gurbani de gutke Dilli vich rul rah han.’ A CID inspector had informed that he had brought handwritten gutka from the boxes kept on the ground in Delhi. Pilferage of these materials had already started at Delhi. Such like information was received by Dr. Tarlochan Singh and Prof Labh Singh of Sikh Missionary College. S Kirpal Singh Jathedar Akal Takhat brought this matter to S. Boota Singh, the then Cabinet Minister who then confirmed that 125 bags of reference books, manuscripts, and articles of Sikh Reference Library had been taken by the Army.
Later a news item appeared in Daily Ajit, Punjabi, Jalandhar dated 11 June 2000 regarding the missing manuscripts, reference books, and other material. Ranjit Singh Nanda, a CBI inspector during OP Blue Star days and involved in collecting and scrutinizing the Sikh Reference Material gave the following statement to Daily Ajit:
‘After about two weeks of the Operation Blue Star in June 1984, the Army took in trucks, Sikh Reference Books, and archival material to Youth Hostel: the CBI HQs during the OP. Blue Star, in 190 big bags. Every bag had a black ink number written systematically on it. After one month, a CBI team consisting of five members prepared a list of 160-65 bags after scrutinizing and the list was prepared by three typists made available to CBI teams. The remaining 30-35 bags were yet to be scrutinized. In view of the Sikh Sammelan called by the Five Singh Sahiban, the entire material was shifted to an unknown destination. Religious books were placed in 12 trunks, and other books and materials were taken in bags as such. Some of the Manuscripts (Handwritten) pothis and Hukamnamas which he had collected out of these were later returned to SGPC after his retirement.
While scrutinizing, a handwritten manuscript of Sri Guru Granth Sahib also fell on the ground along with other books from a bag. This manuscript had bullet marks on it. As this was objected to, the other bags were emptied on tables. Every manuscript was studied and analyzed and was again filled in bags after making lists. Non-destruction of classified mail to Sant Bhindranwalla and other leaders was a matter of surprise. (Ed. They searched each mail probably they were in search of a letter written by Indira Gandhi to Sant Bhindranwalla; as stated by him later). These bags contained not only the Sikh reference Books but also material collected from all offices of SGPC. These included numerous Handwritten manuscripts of SGGS and Hukamnamas (Ed. 512 SGGS Ms and 44 Hukamnamas according to a later account), Handwritten Ms; letters written by and to Sant Bhindranwalla and Jagjit Singh Chauhan and other leaders, about 250 to 300 passports, Registers and Dak of SGPC, and books related to Sikh History and Culture. It also included Gold Memento presented to S. Gurcharan Singh Tohra on 400-year celebrations. This five-member committee included DSP Shabdal Singh of Punjab Police. Making best of the situation collected SGGS beed, an edited SGGS, 4-5 other books, and Hukamnamas of Guru Gobind Singh period. The gold memento presented to S. Gurcharan Singh Tohra was also brought. All these items were handed over to the then Secretary SGPC, S.Manjit Singh Calcutta the fact not known to anyone as yet. Record in the register of Sikh Reference Library reveals that the Hukamnamas were returned in 1991 and the entry is from serial 6222-6266. 44 Hukamnamas had gone but only 28 were returned which the inspector himself has returned. These Hukamnamas included a Hukamnamas of Mata Sundri of 1st Vaisakh1777 (1720 AD). The 18 files containing lists of contents of Hukamnama, Nishans and SGGS beeds was stated to be available now in Sikh Reference Library while 17 other files have not been returned by CBI.

Ranjit Singh Nanda was the CBI inspector detailed with inquiry committee inquiring the death of DIG AS Atwal in 1983 and during OP Blue Star his field of work was Sri Harmandir Sahib. His office was in Youth Hostel. He denied that the Sikh reference Library was burnt on 6 June 84 in Op Blue Star as this material was received by them on 18-19 June 84. The remaining material was taken by Army to Delhi. He told that a letter was written by Smt. Gandhi, the then PM to Sant Bhindranwalla was being searched by the CBI.

DSP Shabdal Singh of Model Town Jalandhar, who was with Ranjit Singh Nanda too confirmed the above facts through his statement which appeared in Ajit, 12 June 2000 with certain modifications. S. Sabdal Singh was posted at PAP Bahadurgarh but was called on duty before the CBI on 5 June 1984, during the attack on Harmandar Sahib. After two weeks of taking charge, he went to Rajasansi airport in a day between 18-20 June 1984 in the morning, on a call of duty. At that time, Director CBI Bawa Harkishan Singh was also present. Military planes were unloading bags containing religious books, handwritten Guru Granth Sahib, and other articles in 190 bags. The Army authorities told them that these items were taken from Darbar Sahib to Delhi and are now being returned to CBI for further investigations. These items were then shifted to Youth Hostel (CBI HQs in OP Blue Star in Amritsar) from the airport. (Not directly from Darbar Sahib as was stated by Sardar Nanda.) These were scrutinized by the team including Nanda, DIG Rajinder Kumar, and himself among others.

After scrutinizing the CBI returned 28 Hukamnamas out of the total 44 Hukumnamas (earlier entered at Sr. Nos 6222 to 6266) in 1991 through S. Ranjit Singh Nanda to S. Manjit Singh Calcutta, the then Secretary SGPC and these have been entered at Serial No 7034 to 7062 of 1991 in the new register of the library. Among the Hukumnama not yet received, there was one Hukumnama of Mata Sundri of Vaisakh Samvat 1777 (1720 AD). From the 35 files, only 18 files were received while 17 were taken by CBI and not returned yet. None other manuscript or rare book or valuable article was returned except the gold-framed memento presented to S. Gurcharan Singh Tohra. Even though these documents and memento were returned to S Manjit Singh Calcutta and this news appeared in the Ajit; the Sikh world in general and SGPC, in particular, chose to be silent on the remaining items for reasons unknown.

Later, on the change of Govt. the demand for the return of manuscripts and other articles became vociferous. In reply to a letter dated 27th March 2000, Sh. George Fernandez, the then Defence Minister confirmed to SGPC that all these manuscripts, Hukumnamas, and other documents and materials have been handed over to CBI. CBI however, denied this till this was brought out in the open by S. Nanda and Shabdal Singh. It was only at the receipt of a letter from George Fernandez that the then SGPC Secretary S. Gurbachan Singh Bachan approached the then Chief Minister of Punjab S. Badal for the return of these documents. In 1984 S. Davinder Singh Duggal was the in-charge of Sikh Reference Library who later wrote that the blocks made of silver for these Hukamnamas are also lost. Mr. Nanda however denied having seen any silver blocks.’ A duly marked book ‘Arms and the Man by GB Shaw’, (M-3197) S. Bag 84 (7) found in old books on sale in Delhi however has a different story to tell. It has the name Parween Nanda written on it which needs to be investigated for further facts.

As the balance documents were not being received back a CWP no 11301/2003 was filed in Punjab & Haryana High Court by S. Satnam Singh s/o Mela Singh. In reply VK Gupta Under Secretary Ministry of Home Affairs, GOI, and BS Kanwar SP CBI/SICII New Delhi filed replies.

In his reply Mr. VK Gupta stated:
1. Army authorities in an investigation of case No. RC 2/84-SIU.III/SIC.II/CBI/New Delhi had handed over 4000 manuscripts to CBI. These documents were recovered by them from the Golden Temple complex, Amritsar during the Operation Blue Star. All the treasures and artifacts as also all other historical and non-historical items recovered from Golden Temple were either handed over to SGPC and its functionaries or the Govt. treasures or to the CBI as mentioned above.



2. Items handed over to SGPC and its functionaries

i) A board of officers was convened on 13 June 1984 by Headquarters 11 Corps in the Golden Temple. The board carried out a stock-taking of items found in Shri Akal Takhat in the presence of State Government Representatives, Deputy Commissioner’s Representatives as also in the presence of Secretary and Assistant Secretary of SGPC.

ii) The board found 25 historical items and 43 non-historical items. These items were put in boxes and sealed. The boxes were then locked in the room adjoining Shri Akal Takhat. Both the board and the representatives of SGPC then sealed the room with their respective seals.

iii) The board had also found certain other items in Kotha Sahib and Bambi Wala. The major items found were left untouched as per instructions of Head Granthi Giani Pritam Singh- However, some minor items were shifted to a room adjacent to Shri Akal Takhat where, other historical/non-historical items were locked and sealed for security purposes.

iv) Subsequently, another board was ordered to hand over the 52 historical items on 13 September 1984 to Shri Mohan Singh, Curator, Museum, Punjab Govt. These were handed over by the board in the presence of SGPC representatives as also representatives from Punjab Govt./ Deputy Commissioners Office.

v) A board was ordered to ascertain the disposal of the non-historical items. As per information available, these were disposed of by Shri Bhagwan Singh (Mukh Granthi), who was then performing the duties of Sewadar Shri Akal Takhat. Most of these items being broken or damaged were either shifted to a store at the time of repairs of Shri Akal Takhat or disposed of off since it was not found appropriate to keep these non-historical items in Shri Akal Takhat as per the traditional practice.

B. Items Handed over to the Govt. Treasures in 1984

Valuables, as mentioned below recovered from Golden Temple Complex, were handed over to Mr. Kailash Chand Sharma Officiating Treasury Officer, Amritsar on 13 June 1984

Gold and Gold ornaments
Silver and Silver ornaments
Precious stones, semi-precious stones, and Pearls
Govt. currency notes worth Rs. 30,93,936.00
Coins, currency, and FDR’s

C Items Handed over to CBI in 1984

i) 5th July, 1984:-A total of four big bags and 72 small bags with passports and office files/documents were taken over by CBI vide Seizure Memo Case No. RC 2/84/III/SIC/CBI/SPE/N. Delhi dated 05.07.1984

6th July, 1984:- A total of 36 big bags with passports, booklets and files/ documents were taken over by CBI vide Seizure Memo Case No. RC 2/84 SIC/CBI/SPE/N Delhi dated 06.07.1984

7th July, 1984:-A total of 16 big bags with files, passbooks, identity cards, cheque-books, booklets/diaries, registers etc. were taken over by CBI vide Seizure Memo Case No. RC/2/84/SIC/CBI/SPE/N. Delhi dated 07.07.1984

D Items handed over to CBI on 6th March, 1985:12 bags containing files, office stationery, and diaries/booklets were handed over to Shri O.S. Randhawa, SI/CBI/SCI/ New Delhi on 06.03.1985

E Handing over of Paintings/Photos and Manuscripts on 05.07.1985: A board of officers was convened to hand over 98 paintings, 14 photos, and four manuscripts which were recovered from Central Sikh Museum, Golden Temple, Amritsar. These were handed over to Shri Mohan Singh, Department of Cultural Affairs, Chandigarh on 05.07.1985.

4) That the contents of Para No. 5 is admitted to the extent that the Defence Minister had intimated SGPC authorities that documents recovered from Golden Temple Complex, Amritsar by Army authorities were handed over to CBI. The rest of the para is denied as about 4000 articles were recovered and not as mentioned therein.

Reply filed by CBI SP

The CBI had not removed any article lying in the Sikh Reference Library. Army authorities in an investigation of case No. RC 2/84-SIU.III/SIC.II/CBI/New Delhi had handed over 4000 manuscripts to CBI which were purported to have been recovered from the Golden Temple complex during Operation Blue Star, vide receipt memos dated 26.6.1984, 04.07.1983, 06.07.1984 and letter Nos. 1654/Q/G dated 08.07.1984 and No. 1108/13/BS/GS/I and II dated 06.03.1985. These documents were shifted from the CBI camp office at Youth Hostel Amritsar.

After obtaining an order of the Hon’ble High Court on 13.10.1989, 20.06.1990, and 28.12.1990 respectively, whatever was claimed by SGPC was handed over to them. The CBI has already handed over all the claimed documents/articles etc. to the concerned SGPC representatives under proper receipt.
Certain documents which were found seditious during the investigation were destroyed after the order of the Hon’ble Court. A copy of the list of such documents is enclosed herewith as Annexure A.
Similarly, some documents were filed along with the Challan in the concerned court and may be available in the court file. A list of such documents is enclosed herewith as Annexure B.

Two documents i.e., one diary and a file were handed over to the IO of another case/exhibited in the Court of Special Judge, Bhagalpur.

Presently the CBI has only 5 documents as per the details given below:

• A magazine ‘Sant Sipahi’ ( May 1984)
  2. The file containing various letters etc. (49 sheets)
  3. Diary of Sh. Balwinder Singh Khojkipur for 1983.
  4. One copy of the annual report of All India Sikh Student Federation dated. 20.9.83.
  5. Arms license No 926/ AVG/ ASR of Sh. Chanan Sing
• If we see the details given by the Ministry of Home GOI and CBI regarding documents at Sikh Reference Library, we find that:
• Stocktaking of items taken from Golden Temple was carried out on 13 June 1984 by the Corps HQs 11 Corpse located at Jalandhar. (Mr. VK Gupta’s reply).

Board found 25 historical items and 43 nonhistorical items. These items were put in boxes and sealed. Subsequently, another board was ordered to hand over the 52 historical items on 13 September 1984 to Shri Mohan Singh, Curator, Museum, Punjab Govt. These were handed over by the board in the presence of SGPC representatives as also representatives from Punjab Govt./ Deputy Commissioners Office. (Mr. VK Gupta’s reply)

The army handed over 4000 manuscripts to CBI which they had recovered from Golden Temple Complex. ( Mr. VK Gupta’s reply)

Items recovered from Golden Temple were either handed over to SGPC and its functionaries or the Govt. treasures or to the CBI. (Mr. VK Gupta’s reply).

Items handed over to CBI included (a) A total of four big bags and 72 small bags with passports and office files/documents handed over on 5th July 1984 (b) A total of 36 big bags with passports, booklets, and files/ documents were taken over by CBI on 6th July 1984 (c) A total of 16 big bags with files, passbooks, identity cards, cheque-books, booklets/diaries, registers, etc. were taken over by CBI on 7th July 1984. (d) 12 bags containing files, office stationery, and diaries/booklets were handed over to Shri O.S. Randhawa on 6th March 1985 (e) (Total 56 big bags and 84 small bags) (Mr. VK Gupta’s reply)

The army took away those bags to New Delhi. After scrutinizing at their end they handed over 56 big + 72 small bags to CBI at Amritsar between 5th to 7th July 1984 and 12 bags on 6th March 1985. These bags contained material taken away not only from the Sikh reference library but also from the entire complex including the SGPC complex. (As per DSP Shabdal Singh’s statement and also of Nanda’s statements, they had received 190 bags on 18-20 June 1984. There appears a discrepancy in these two statements.) This shows that the material was investigated and analyzed at Delhi as well as at Youth Hostel, Amritsar. (Mr. VK Gupta’s reply and DSP Shabdal Singh’s statement and also of Nanda’s statements).

Sh Binod Kumar Roy (Chef Justice ) and Justice Surya Kant, the Hon’ble Judges of Punjab and Haryana High Court in their decision stated: ‘The question as to whether such articles were in fact there or not cannot be enquired appropriately in this writ proceedings. We give liberty to the petitioners to approach an appropriate forum where such an issue could be appropriately adjudicated…..’ and ‘ ….we further clarify that if Government of India has no real objection to the release of any other property claimed by petitioner no.2 to be returned to it, then it will pass an objective order expeditiously.’

Analysis of the above statements:

1. The Sikh Reference Library was not burnt during OP Blue Star.
2. The HQ 11 Corps carried out stock-taking on 13 June 1984 including that of the Library.
3. The Documents were taken by Army to Delhi after due stock taking.
4. Army handed over 190 bags which included 4000 books and manuscripts to CBI at Airport Amritsar on June 19-20, 1984.
5. Out of these a few manuscripts and Hukamnamas were handed over by S Nanda to S. Manjit Singh Calcutta..
6. After obtaining an order of the Hon’ble High Court on 13.10.1989, 20.06.1990, and 28.12.1990 respectively, whatever was claimed by SGPC was handed over to SGPC under proper receipt.
7. The copies of receipts filed by CBI do not account for the 4000 manuscripts and the rare books; it only accounts for 95 rare books, 20 manuscripts 1. hukamnamas. Other returned included magazines and newspapers only.
8. As per Sikh Reference Library records 125 bags containing Sikh Reference Library books were taken by Army, out of which only 29 bags were returned i.e., 14, 17, 18, 21, 25 to 28, 31, 33, 34, 37, 38, 42, 51, 57, 73, 77, 81, 86, 87, 91, 102 to 104, 106, 108, 114. The bags which were not returned included 01 to 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 22 to 24, 29, 30, 32, 35, 36, 39 to 41, 43 to 50, 52 to 56, 58 to 72, 74 to 76, 78 to 80, 82 to 85, 88 to 90, 93 to 101, 105, 107, 109 to 113, 115 to 125. (4 books being exception).
9. The CBI has to give the details of the remaining manuscripts and rare books. Director CBI Bawa Harkishan Singh, DIG Rajinder Kumar, DSP Shabdal Singh and Inspector Ranjit Singh Nanda; all of CBI were the persons responsible hence must provide the answer.
10. As per the verdict by Punjab & Haryana High Court for the items claimed and not returned earlier an order must be passed by the Government of India to pass an order expeditiously, the Government of India must pass an order immediately for the CBI to release the remaining documents for Sikh Reference Library.
11. Hq 11 Corps must provide the list of items made during stock-taking on 13 June 1984. Army HQs also must provide the list of items rare books and manuscripts it handed over to CBI.
12. The assistance of Ex SGPC Officials S. Kulwant Singh, S Joginder Singh, S. Abinashi Singh, S Manjit Singh Calcutta, S. Anurag Singh, S Joginder Singh Duggal, S. Jaura Singha, etc. S S. Satnam Singh s/o Mela Singh must also be taken

Let us first see what was in Sikh Reference Library. Sikh Reference Library consisted of rare books in addition to Handwritten Manuscripts, Hukamnamas, letters, Pattas and Sanads, old paintings and photographs, and other articles like Sikh uniforms, weapons etc. The list of books contained in Sikh Reference Library as available from the various records are as follows:

Ganda Singh Secretary compiled and got printed on 19-10-1950, 4 lists of books:

1-Soochee Patar Punjabi, (Gurmukhi) Pustkan, Bhag Pahila, jo Sikh Reference Library Amritsar wich Maujud han) Sikh History Society, Amritsar Maghar 482, GN-
Containing 1144 rare books including 10, Assamese 2 Bengali and 3 Sindhi Gurmukhi historical books and 158 Handwritten manuscripts. Hukumnamas & Letters- Hukamnamas 14+2 Albums of Hukamnamas- with ….Huamnamas+Letters 13+Guru Gobind Singh’s letter Photocopy
2-Sikh Reference Library Shiromani Gurdwara Pabandhak Committee, Amritsar Soochee Patar Punjabi, (Gurmukhi) Pustkan Bhag Duja containing 1265 books 152 Manuscripts Handwritten and 68 photographs
3-Catalogue of Books Part I: The list contains 670 books of English and one book in French and Maps-190 maps.

4-Catalogue of English Books Part II: List contains 364 books in English+ One book in French + and 3 maps

5. 1548 English books, one French and Gazeteer sanads (printed list no 2 page 3 of 1950) and

6. 400 English and one French books (printed list no 3 page 2 of 1950).

7. Beedan de Saroopan di list- Amritsar Sikh Reference Library vich surkhiat han, 1763 Bikrmi (1706 AD) ton pahile dian te baad dian-65

8. Saroop of Sachkhand Hazoor Sahib which have Tenth Guru’s signatures. It has all 4 sabds of so pururkh but baani of ninth guru is not included.

Saroop of beed of bidhi chand of Sur Singh Nagar which is upto bilawal raag. It contains all all 4 sabds of so pururkh but baani of ninth guru is not included.

Total- Rare Books 1144+1265+671+365+1548+400=5393 + Manuscripts=158+152 +65=375, Maps 193 + rare photographs=68

As per additional information, in 1968, there were 382 handwritten manuscripts pertaining to 950 subjects. In 1984 the reference library contained about 512 rare handwritten manuscripts of Sri Guru Granth Sahib including the one signed by the Sixth Guru, the one written by Bhai Gurdas and signed along with Mool Mantar by Guru Tegh Bahadur and copies of Kartarpuri Beed, and many foils of Khari Beed Samwat wise. Also included were 2 Dasam Granths, Sikhan di Bhagat Mal of 18th century. It had 44 Hukamanams of the Gurus and Mata Sahiban. As per one SGPC source out of 160 (125 of manuscripts and rare books) bags taken away by the Army only 29 bags were returned and the remaining 131 bags are to yet be returned.

As balance Manuscripts including Beeds of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Hukamnamas and rare books yet to be returned, the Government of India must issue orders to CBI to return the remaining documents as per the verdict of the Hon’ble High Court.
Annexure 1:

List 1- Soochee Patar Punjabi, (Gurmukhi) Pustkan, Bhag Pahila, jo Sikh Reference Library Amritsar wich Maujud han) Sikh History Society, Amritsar Maghar 482, GN-
Punjabi (Gurmukhi) Pustkan: (Legend: Hand written: HW, Manuscript: Ms):- Sr. 171-179, 236, 237, 238-241, 245-251, 254, 255 (4 HW Ms), 256, 257, 258 (HW Ms) 259-265,271, 274, (HW Ms), 275, 507, 524, 525 (2- HW Ms), 526, 527 (HW Ms), 540 (Photocopies of 11 letters of Maharani Jind Kaur), 541 (Photocopies of 7 Hukamnamas of Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh), 542-3 (Photocopies of HW letters of Guru Gobind Singh), 562, 563, 569, 570 (HW Ms), 575 (HW Ms), 614-7, 618, 699, 718-723, 726, 728, 729, 731, 732 (2-1836 Bikrami), 733 (2- HW Ms, 1901 Bikrami), 734(HW Ms-1913 Bikrami), 735 (HW Ms) 736, 737, 738-739 (HW Ms) 740, 741-743 (HW Ms), 744 (5 HW Ms), 745-746(HW Ms), 747 (11-HW Ms), 748 (HW Ms), 750-752 (HW Ms), 754-6, 758, 767 (3-HW Ms), 768 (3-HW Ms), 768 (2-HW Ms), 769 (2 HW Ms),770, 778, 779(1-HW Ms)780 (HW Ms), 781 (4-HW Ms), 782 (8-HW Ms), 783 (6- HW Ms), 784 (2- HW Ms), 785 (HW Ms), 796-8, 799 (HW Ms), 800 (2-HW Ms), 801 (HW Ms), 802 (6-HW Ms), 803, 831,832, 835, 837(2) 838-9, 840-847 (2 each), 848, 849-861(2 each), 862-871, 921, 922, 923 (2), 924, 926, 927 (6), 928, 929 (4), 930-931 (2 each), 932 (5), 933 (4), 934 (5), 935 (5), 936 (4) 937 (5), 938 (4), 939(5) 940 (6), 941-4, 945 (2), 946 (3), 947-950, 952 (2), 953, 954-7 (2 each), 958 (3), 959 (4), 960, 961(3), 962, 963 (4), 964 (6), 965 (2), 966 (11), 967 (7), 968 (4), 969 (5), 970 (9), 971 (11), 972 (3), 973 (2), 974 (3), 975-981, 983-1002, 1004-05, 1023, 1025-1036, 1037 (2), 1038-1041, 1042 (2), 1043 (5), 1051-3, 1063-5, 1066(2),1067 (3), 1068, 1069, 1070 (3), 1071, 1072 (2), 1073-5, 1076 (2), 1077 (2), 1079, 1081-5, 1087-1091, 1093, 1095-7, 1099-1101, 1102 (2), 1103(11), 1104-6, 1108, 1109 (2), 1110, 1111 (4), 1112-3, 1115-6, 1118-1125, 1129-1132, 1138, 1140-1, 1143-4, 1148-50, 1151(2), 1152 (HW Ms), 1155(HW Ms), 1156-1161, 1162 (HW Ms), 1166-1177, 1179-1182, 1186-1190, 1191 (21- HW Ms), 1192 (HW Ms), 1193 (2- HW Ms), 1194 (HW Ms), 1195-1204, 1207-09, 1213, 1215, 1241, 1242, 1262,1327, 1328, 1349-50, 1352, 1355, 1357, 1358-61, 1369-1371, 1376, 1387, 1391, 1394-1423, 1425, 1430-1451, 1453-1485, 1489-1527, 1529-1536, 1538-39, 1543-46, 1553-1556, 1557 (2- HW Ms), 1558, 1559 (3-litho), 1560 (litho), 1561 (HW Ms),1562 (5- HW Ms),1563 (4) 1564(6), 1565-71, 1572-75 (litho), 1576 (2) 1577 (litho), 1578 (2-HW Ms), 1579 (HW Ms) 1580 (2), 1581-82, 1589, 1592, -93, 1595-96 (HW Ms), 1601 (litho)1602-1606, 1607 (7, 2-Litho), 1608-1612, 1613 (litho), 1614-1618, 1622, 1624-1629, 1635, 1642-43, 1654, 1656, 1657 (HW Ms), 1658, 1661-62, 1664 (HW Ms), 1665-1668, 1677, 1679 (9), 1680, 1681, 1682 (4), 1683, 1685(2), 1686 -88, 1690-92, (2 each), 1694-1700,1701-02 (2 each),1703-1706, 1758, 1760 (HW Ms), 1761, 1764-1786, 1790, 1798, 1801-03, 1807-08 (HW Ms), 1809, 1810 (HW Ms) 1812 ( litho) 1813-15, , 1817, 1819 (litho), 1820-21, 1823, 1829-1843, 1844 (HW Ms) 1845 (5-HW Ms), 1846-48, 1861-69, 1871, 1876, 1882-1909, 1914-1927, 1928 (HW Ms), 1929-1930,1943-46, 1949, 1951-72, 1973 (5-HW Ms) 1974 (3 HW Ms), 1975 (HW Ms), 1976, 1981-83, 1985-89, 1991, 2058 (HW Ms), 2059, 2061, 2063-64, 2065-67 (HW Ms), 2068, 2069 (HW Ms), 2070-73, 2161-64, 2165 (2) 2166-2173, 2180-83, 2184 (4-HW Ms), 2185, 2186-7 (Hukamname Sangat Patan Farid ke- 2 (Mata Sahib Devi), 21886 HW Ms pages of Guru Gobind Singh (photo) 2189 Hukamname Sangat Patan Farid ke- 2 ALBUM- Samwat 1720-1816, Guru Harkishan, Guru Tegh Bahadur, Guru Gobind Singh, Mata Sahib Devi), 2190, 2281 (2), 2283-85, 2302-04 (HW Ms), 2305-06, 2307-10 (6-HW Ms), 2311, 2312 (3-HW Ms), 2313-2318, 2319 (HW Ms), 2321, 2322-2323 ( 2-HW Ms), 2324-2328, 2329-2330 (3-HW Ms), 2331, 2334-35.

Assamese (15)-27-40, 42 (Buranjees): Bangla (2): 1092, 1142, Sindhi (2): 924, 982.

Total-
Sikh Reference Library Shiromani Gurdwara Pabandhak Committee, Amritsar Soochee Patar Punjabi, (Gurmukhi) Pustkan Bhag Duja
2344-2348, 2350, 2351 (litho), 2352-54, 2355 (litho), 2356 (16), 2357-69, 2370-71 (HW Ms), 2373 (HW Ms) 2374 (12), 2377, 2379, 2381-89, 2390 (2), 2391-2426, 2427-28 (2 each), 2429, 2430 (5), 2431, 2432 (HW Ms), 2433-42, 2444-49, 2451, Hukamnama 6th Guru (2 in 4 Photos), Baba Gurditta Ji (1 in 2 Photos), Ninth Guru in 13 photos -2452-19 photos Patna 1675-1728, 2453 Hukamnama Mata Gujri Ji in one photo, Tenth Guru- five photos, Matya Sunder Sarup –Seven photos, Mata Sahib Devan two photos. 2454-15 photos Patna 1748-1787 Bikrmi, 2467-2475, 2477-89, 2491-92, 2500, 2504-2510, 2512, 2518, 2520-21, 2523, 2525, 2528-42, 2547, 2552, 2554-55, 2575-76, 2597-2614, 2617-18, 2623-2631, 2633-36, 2641-2668, 2670-77, 2686-2705, 2748, 2750-51, 2755-57, 2787-90, 2797-2855, 2858-2867, 2873-2877, 2888-2889 ( HW Ms), 2893-2900, 2905, 2907-2921, 2924, 2925 (7-HW MS), 2926 (8 HW Ms),2927 (11 HW Ms), 2928-3931 (Bound Amrit & Pritam Monthly), 2948-2951, 2954-2970,2973-3004, 3006-3032, 3042, 3052-3054,3080-3084, 3154-3179, 3195-3217, 3246-3249, 3255-3258, 3260-3270, 3272-3276, 3284-3285, 3286-3290 (in one binding), 3291-3293 (HW Ms), 3294-3309, 3320-3325, 3373-3376, 3377 (HW Ms), 3378 (3 HW Ms),, 3379-3397, 3398 (7 HW Ms), 3399-3405, 3474-3480, 3500-3509, 3510-11(HW Ms), 3512-13 (2 HW Ms each), (in one binding5), 3514-3516, 3526-3531, 3546, 3547 (HW Ms) 3548-3549, 3552-3560, 3575, 3602-3603, 3610-3613, 3686-3690, 3705-3708, 3730, 3733-3738, 3745-3748, 3751, 3781, 3855, 3895-3905, 3913-3921, 3964, 3968-3990, 3994-4011 (4000-2), 4030-31, 4049-4060, 4071-4075, 4183-4190, 4198-4212, 4217-4219, 4230-4240, 4252-4261, 4262 (HWMs), 4263, 4264 ( Hw Ms), 4265 (HW Ms) (4258-4265 in onnth e binding),4266 ( Old HW Ms), 4267-68, 4278-79, 4281, 4318-19, 4320, 4321 HW Ms), 4322 (Sooraj Granth Rashi 7-9), 4323 ( Suraj Granth HW Ms),324 ( HW Ms), 4325-4337, 4338(3), 4339-4346, 4391-4395, 44274429, 4434, 4443 (Old HW), 4444 (HW), 4445-46

Details of Manuscripts/Handwritten (HW Ms) materials

255 (4- HW Ms), 258 (HW Ms), 274 (HW Ms), 525 (2-HW Ms), 527 (HW Ms), 570 (HW Ms), 575 (HW Ms), 732 (2-1836 Bikrami), 733 (2-HW Ms, 1901 Bikrami), 734(HW Ms-1913Bikrami),
735 (HW Ms), 738-739 (HW Ms), 741-743 (HW Ms), 744 (5 HW Ms), 745-746 (HW Ms), 747 11-HW Ms), 748 (HW Ms), 750-752 (HW Ms), 767 (3-HW Ms), 768 (3-HW Ms), 768 (2-HW Ms), 769 (2 HW Ms), 779(1-HW Ms), 780 (HW Ms), 781(4-HW Ms), 782 (8-HW Ms),783 (6-HW Ms), 784 (2-HW Ms), 785 (HW Ms), 799 (HW Ms), 800 (2-HW Ms), 801 (HW Ms), 802(6-HW Ms), 1152 (HW Ms), 1155 (HW Ms), 1162, 1191 (21-HW Ms), 1192 (HW Ms), 1193 (2-HW Ms), 1194 (HW Ms), 1557 (2-HW Ms), 1561 (HW Ms), 1562 (5-HW Ms), 1578 (2-HW Ms),
1579 (HW Ms), 1595-96 (HW Ms), 1657 (HW Ms), 1664 (HW Ms), 1760 (HW Ms), 1807-08 (HW Ms), 1810 (HW Ms), 1844 (HW Ms), 1845 (5-HW Ms), 1928 (HW Ms), 1973 (5-HW Ms),
1974 (3-HW Ms), 1975 (HW Ms), 2058 (HW Ms), 2065-67 (HW Ms), 2069 (HW Ms), 2184 (4-HW Ms), 2302-04 (HW Ms), 2307-10 (6-HW Ms), 2312 (3-HW Ms), 2319 (HW Ms), 2322-2323 (2-HW Ms), 2329-2330 (3-HW Ms),

Hukumnamas & Letters- Hukamnamas +14 Hukamnamas + 2 Albums of Hukamnamas- with ….Huamnamas+ Letters 13+Guru Gobind Singh’s letter Photocopy

1. 540 (Photocopies of 11 letters of Maharani Jind Kaur)
2. 541 (Photocopies of 7 Hukamnamas of Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh)

3. 542-3 (Photocopies of HW letters of Guru Gobind Singh),
4. 2186-7 (Hukamname Sangat Patan Farid ke- 2 (Mata Sahib Devi),
5. 2188 HW Ms pages of Guru Gobind Singh (photo)
6. 2189 Hukamname Sangat Patan Farid ke-2 ALBUM- Samwat 1720-1816, Guru Harkishan, Guru Tegh Bahadur, Guru Gobind Singh, Mata Sahib Devi),

Beedan de Saroopan di list- Amritsar Sikh Reference Library vich surkhiat han, 1763 Bikrmi (1706 AD) ton pahile dian te baad dian

1667: So Purkh chare sabd darj han. Nauven guru di bani darj nahin
1732: Poho 23: So Purkh chare sabd darj han. Nauven guru di bani darj nahin
1742: Sawan 19: So Purkh chare sabd darj han. Nauven guru di bani darj nahin
1743: Magh Sudi 5: So Purkh chare sabd darj han. Nauven guru di bani darj nahin
1743- Vaisakh 13; So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai, mangal pahile han.
1743-Sawan triodsi 13; So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai, vade mangal pahile han, chhotte saje tarteeb anusar darj han.
1746- So purukh darj nahin hai, nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai, mangal pahile daraj han.
1748-Mah 17: Sodar pahila hi sabd darj hai iko, baaki nahin han te nauven guru ji di baani darj hai. Mngal pahile han.
1751 mah sudi 17: So purukh te nauven guru ji di baani darj hai
1751: Fagno vadi 13: So purukh te nauven guru ji di baani darj hai, mangal pahile han.
1751: Fagno vadi 13: So purukh te nauven guru ji di baani darj hai, mangal pahile han.
1751: Had vadi 11: So Purukh darj nahin; Nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai
1753: Katak sudi 1: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai

1755: Katik Vadi 24: So purukh darj nahin: nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai
1755: Katik Vadi 24: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai
1755: Chetar Vadi 21: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai
1760: Magh Sudi 12: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai
1763: Poho 20: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai
1770 : Cheto 1: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai
1771: Fagno Vadi 7: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai
1784: Badi 2: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai
1787: Chetro Vadi 2: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai
1787: Fagan Channani Panchmi: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai
1787 Fagan 5: So Purkh chare sabd darj han. Nauven guru di bani darj nahin
1787: Asu sudi 8: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai
1788: So purukh nahi hai: Nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai
1789: Bhadro 1: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai
1790: Katak Ikadshi 11: So purukh nahi hai: Nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai
1790: Completed in 1793: So purukh nahi hai: Nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai: Likhat Kehar Ravidasia
1791: Asa Vadi 11; So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai
1792: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai
1792 Sawan Vadi 5: So Purkh chare sabd darj han. Nauven guru di bani darj nahin
1794: Katak 3: So purukh nahi hai: Nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai
1795 Katak Sudi 10: So purukh nahi hai: Nauven guru ji di baanee darj hai
1796 Katak Vadi 5: So purukh nahi hai: Nauven guru ji di baanee darj hai
1797: Katak Sudi 2: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai
1798 Katak sudi 11: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai.
1800: Magh vadi 11:So purukh ton darj nahin. nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai
1803:Asu Vadi 28: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai.
1803;Asu 1: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai.
1805: Chetar Sudi 5: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai.
1805: Jeth Vadi 3: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai.
1805: Jeth Vadi Brispatwar: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai.
1805:Chetar Sudi 13: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai.
1809: Pokh Sudi 3: So purukh nahin hai. nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai.
1809: Asu Vadi 10: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai.
1809: Savno 1: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai.
1809:Maho 3 Veervar: So purukh nahi hai. Nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai.
1810: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai.
1811:Maghar Sudi 11: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai.
1812:Katak Sudi 26: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai.
1814:Jeth Vadi 5: So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai.
1834: So purukh te nauven guru ji di baani darj hai

1888; So purukh te nauven guru ji di baani darj hai
1900: So purukh te nauven guru ji di baani darj hai
1905: So purukh te nauven guru ji di baani darj hai
1920: So purukh te nauven guru ji di baani darj hai
1923: So purukh te nauven guru ji di baani darj hai
1935: So purukh te nauven guru ji di baani darj hai
1942: So purukh te nauven guru ji di baani darj hai
1943: So purukh te nauven guru ji di baani darj hai

Saroop of Sachkhand Hazoor Sahib which has Tenth Guru’s signatures. It has all 4 sabds of so pururkh but baani of ninth guru is not included.

Saroop of beed of bidhi chand of Sur Singh Nagar which is upto bilawal raag. It contains all all 4 sabds of so pururkh but baani of ninth guru is not included.

A. Nauven guru di bani darj nahin. So Purkh chare sabd darj han.-8

(1). 1667: (2). 1732: Poho 23. (3). 1742: Sawan 19 (4). 1743: Magh Sudi 5. (5). 1787 Fagan 5. (6). 1792 Sawan Vadi 5. (7). Saroop of Sachkhand Hazoor Sahib which has Tenth Guru’s signatures. It has all 4 sabds of so pururkh but baani of ninth guru is not included.(8). Saroop of beed of bidhi chand of Sur Singh Nagar which is upto bilawal raag. It contains all all 4 sabds of so pururkh but baani of ninth guru is not included.

B. So purukh ton nauvn guru ji di baanee darj hai. -44 (1) 1735 Vaisakh 13: (2). 1743- Vaisakh 13. (3). 1743-Sawan triodsi 13 : (4). 1751 Mah sudi 17. (5). 1751: Fagno vadi 13, (6). 1751: Fagano vadi 13. (7) 1751: Fagno vadi 13. (8). 1753 Katak sudi 1. (9). 1755 Katio Vadi 24. (10). 1755 Katio Vadi 24. (11). 1755 Chetar Vadi 21. (12). 1760: Magh Sudi 12. (13). 1763: Poho 20. (14). 1770: Cheto 1. (15). 1771: Fagno Vadi 7. (16). 1784: Badi 2. (17). 1787: Chetro Vadi 2. (18). 1787: Fagan Channani Panchmi. (19). 1787: Asu sudi 8. (20). 1789: Bhadro 1. (21) 1790: Completed in 1793(Written by Kehar Ravidasia) (22). 1791: Asa Vadi 11. (23). 1792. (24). 1796:Katk Vadi 5, (25) 1797: Katak Sudi 2 (26). 1803:Asu Vadi 28, (27). 1803; Asu 11, (28). 1805: (29). 1805: Jeth Vadi Brispatwar: (30). 1805: Jeth Vadi Brispatwar: (31). 1805: Chetar Sudi 13: (32). 1810: (33).1811:Maghar Sudi 11; (34). 1812: Katak Sudi 26: (35). 1814:Jeth Vadi 5: (36). 1834. (37). 1888. (38). 1900. (39). 1905.(40). 1920. (41). 1923. (42). 1935. (43). 1942. (44). 1943.

C. Sodar pahila hi sabd darj hai iko, baaki nahin han- (1) 1748 Maho 17:

D. So Purukh darj nahin:-11: (1) 1746: (2) 1751: Had vadi 11, (3) 1755 Katio Vadi 24 (4) 1788: (5) 1790: Katak Ikadshi 11. (6) 1794: Katak 3 (7) 1795 Katak Sudi 10 (8)1798 Katak Sudi 11 (9) 1800 Magh vadi 11 (10) 1809: Pokh Sudi 3(11) 1809 Magh 3
(Total Sri Guru Granth Sahib Manuscripts-65)

Now a case is filed in High Court P & H where SGPC has been made party along with Army and CBI about the return of balance documents. The biggest concern is of 512 handwritten MS of SGGS and some other handwritten MS. I was also asked to find out whether these are retained by Army. I, of my own, checked from Sikh Regimental center, Punjab Regimental Centre, and Sikh LI Regimental Centers and find no records about of these documents. I will check up from HQ 11 corps the copy of the documents during handing taking with CBI. I was also told by a very reliable source that the Old MS were also handed over to SGPC but like other copies of SGGS, have been distributed.
As per all other available evidence, these old handwritten 512 MS of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and other Manuscripts remain with CBI. Hence further investigation has to be done either at Delhi at CBI stores or with SGPC since Army does not hold any documents as per my findings.
To a writ about Library material not returned after Op Blue Star: SGPC tells High Court, In a related RTI reply on August 3, 2018, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had said, "About 4000 documents/books/files gold/gold ornaments, silver/silver ornaments, precious stone currency at sector were recovered by a central agency during Operation Blue Star in 1984. The articles and documents handed over either to SGPC or to the Government of Punjab." In a recent reply to a petition filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has claimed 1,500 manuscripts, including 512 codices of the Shri Guru Granth Sahib, which were allegedly taken away during Operation Blue Star have not been returned to it by the Centre.

In a related RTI reply on August 3, 2018, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had said, “About 4000 documents/books/files gold/gold ornaments, silver/silver ornaments, precious stone currency at sector were recovered by a central agency during Operation Blue Star in 1984. The articles and documents handed over either to SGPC or to the Government of Punjab.” (Indian Express)
References
1 Among several publications describing the battle between Sikh militants inside the Temple and the Indian armies, Tully and Jacob’s account (Citation1985) remains the most reliable.
2 See Kaur ([Citation1983] Citation2004, 222–231). She lists 74 Bungas dividing these into four classes according to who built them, uses these were put to and dates them; 1. Misl; 2. Personal 3. Community 4. Ecclesiastical. The earliest was built in 1754 called Akhara Brahm Buta and by the end of the eighteenth century, there were 25 Bungas, built by emerging Sikh Misl chiefs such as the Sukarchakia, Chhapparwala; Bhungianwala, Jassa Singh Ramgarhia, Ahluwalia, Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Chichanwalia; Sandhawalia and so on. From 1800, almost a race by various Sikh chiefs led to the building of 50 more Bungas among them Bunga Nauhathian built in 1800, Bunga Sardar Lehna Singh Majithia in 1808 and Bunga Sardar Sher Singh that was completed in 1829, the last of such buildings. Altogether between 1800 and 1829 about fifty Bungas were added.
3 Sikh History Research Department at Khalsa College Amritsar was established in 1930 with the sole efforts of Dr Ganda Singh. As part of its aim was to collect sources of Sikh history, a library was established in a separate building. Altogether the Department collected 570 rare manuscripts (287 in Punjabi, 248 in Persian, 32 in Urdu and 3 in Sanskrit) besides 4726 books on Sikh history along with creating an art gallery. The history of this library is given in the first issue of a journal published by Khalsa College commemorating the contribution of Ganda Singh to Sikh Studies, ‘Dr Ganda Singh Journal of Sikh Historical and Religious Studies,’ Vol.1 No. 1 March 1991. Unfortunately, the journal did not survive for long.
4 Singh (Citation1950b). This issue of Itihasak Pattar contains ‘Suchi Pattar Panjabi [Gurmukhi] Pustakan of Sikh Reference Library’, Amritsar (Singh Citation1950c). This issue of Itihasak Pattar contains ‘author index, and subject index of the Panjabi books of Sikh Reference Library’, Amritsar (Singh Citation1950d). This issue of Itihasak Pattar contains ‘catalogue of English books part 1 of Sikh Reference Library’ (Singh Citation1951). This issue of Itihasak Pattar contains ‘Catalogue of English Books, Part 2 of Sikh Reference Library.
5 This list follows the account given by Kaur (Citation1991); this was earlier published in Journal of Sikh Studies.
6 Tully discusses the destruction of the library on pages 176–177 of his book where he also observes; ‘Nevertheless, it is very difficult to believe that an army which did obey orders to refrain from firing at the Golden Temple itself would have deliberately set a building as important as the library on fire.’ The restraint was not as well-observed as the Golden Temple sustained over 100 bullet marks on its walls besides a shot that passed through sacred pages of the Guru Granth Sahib in the inner sanctum of the Harmandir.
7 Tarlochan Singh, Des Pardes, July 17, 2015, 44.
8 The CBI states that in complying with the order of the High Court on 13 October 1989, 20 June 1990 and 28 December 1990, respectively, whatever was claimed by SGPC was handed over to concerned representatives under proper receipts. In reply to a Public Writ filed by Satnam Singh son of Mela Singh at Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2003 seeking clarification [CWP No. 11301/2003] about the contents of the Sikh Reference Library, the CBI made a submission through V. K. Gupta, Under-Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India and B. S. Kanwar SP CBI/SICII New Delhi citing (Case No. RC 2/84-SIU.III/SIC.II/CBI/New Delhi). It detailed how various items were collected by the army from the Golden Temple and how these were then either handed back to the appropriate SGPC authorities or to the CBI for further investigation. In its submission, there are several annexures wherein list of items handed back to different authorities are listed.



9 Jhand and Shaharyar (Citation2015), also see a report by Varinder Walia in the Tribune, June 12, 2000.



10 See statement of Ranjit Singh Nanda and Shabdal Singh in Ajit of 11, 12 June 2000, respectively.



11 See note 8.



12 In its report, Ensaaf (Citation2006) stated that the Union Government filed an affidavit in a court case in April 2004 acknowledging that it possessed many articles, including handwritten scriptures and documents and wished to return them. As a result, the High Court deposed the petition ordering the government to return the materials. But the government has not complied with the order.
13 See note 8 concerning CBI submission to Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2003.
14 See news concerning this case in various newspapers, Hindustan Times, January 2, 2018 report: Among the damaged articles, there were about 2500 handwritten birs (holy scriptures) of the Guru Granth Sahib from the times of Guru Arjan Dev and Guru Gobind Singh; During the course of the trial, the SGPC offered to withdraw its suit if the government agreed to apologise and submit a token compensation of Rs. 1. The defence lawyers, however, refused. e.g. Indian Express March 23, 2016: The petition seeking compensation was filed in 1986 by the SGPC in Amritsar court. Then the SGPC president Gurcharan Singh Tohra had filed another petition in his personal capacity. The case was shifted to the Delhi High Court. The SGPC was supposed to deposit a fee of Rs. 10 crores as per the court’s rules for the hearing to start. However, the proceedings of the case got delayed as SGPC wanted court to exempt the Rs. 10 crore fees. The fee was eventually deposited by SGPC in June 2013, paving the way for court to start the hearing in the case.
15 The following letter is produced on page 195 in Jasbir Singh Sarna’s book Some Precious Pages of the Sikh History

D.O.N. 706 SL/RM/2000 Minister of Defence India

May 3, 2000
Dear Gurbachan Singh Bachan,
Please refer to your letter dated 27.03.2000 regarding return of books taken by army in 1984.
I have had the matter examined. The books and documents that were recovered from the Golden Temple Library had been handed over to the CBI by the Army authorities. You may kindly take up the matter with the ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension since CBI comes under the jurisdiction of that Ministry.
With regards,
Yours sincerely,
Sd/- George Fernandes

To: Dr. Gurbachan Singh Bachan, Secretary, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Teja Singh Samundari Hall, Amritsar.
16 The Tribune May 22, 2009. In reply to a question of Tarlochan Singh, Rajya Sabha member from Haryana, A. K. Antony, Minister of Defence stated: ‘I have been informed that after the Operation, various books/items of Sikh Reference Library (Research) and Sikh Itihas Research Board were handed over to SGPC representative by the Army. Hence, the SGPC has no claim against anyone, the Army or the government’. However, the SGPC president Avtar Singh stated that the Defence Minister is misleading Parliament because Defence Minister George Fernandes had informed earlier that rare books of Sikh Reference Library were yet to be returned to the SGPC.
17 The Times of India, May 14, 2015. Interestingly, Amaninder Sharma the newspaper reporter, calls it ‘raising the nearly-dead issue’ as if this was a minor and insignificant matter.
18 Among prominent donors are Surjit Singh (3000 books), Parkash Singh (450 books), and Sangat Singh (750 books). Some manuscripts were donated by Narinder Singh from his personal collection of birs.
19 Hindustan Times, March 30, 2017.
0 While various Sikh website platforms throw some light, more echo this in emotional terms. See Facebook page of Anurag Singh who keeps a thick file of information and correspondence between the CBI and the Sikh Reference Library but has refused to share it with others except some excerpts through his Facebook notices making much drama of his assertion that some of the manuscripts returned by the CBI were subsequently sold abroad for profit. This kind of debate is hardly helpful as the issue of missing manuscripts needs the skills of an able archivist (combing old registers of the Sikh Reference Library) combined with investigative journalism able to probe the CBI submissions and interview the concerned officers from CBI, army personnel and political leaders.

 

[dalvinder45]

Massacre of Sikhs of Sultanpuri in 1984

Dr Dalvinder Singh Grewal​

I have vey inquisitive about the aftermath of attack on Sri Harmandir Sahib and later about killing of Smt Indira Gandhi. I moved from Talbehat in the first week of November and came to Delhi by train. I planned to stay at Gudwara Raqab Ganj for the night to collect facts about the Delhi Massacre. I met Dr Ajit Singh there who was recording the details of the Sikhs killed in Sultanpuri who had camped in Gurdwara after the massacre. Under a society formed by General Arora, some Sikh intellectuals including Dr. Ajit Singh started recording the details of killed wounded, raped, houses and properties destroyed etc. during Delhi riots which turned out to be a planned genocide of Sikhs.

Dr Ajit Singh with whim I had regular correspondence earlier and wrote for the magazine published by Piara Singh Data whose editor Dr Ajit Singh was recording the details on printed forms. Pointing to the families camped in the Gurdwara complex; he said he had recorded the details about the killing of Sikhs in Sultanpuri. These were too gruesome to describe verbally. I spoke to the ladies who described sobbing what all happened with them. I was numb as I could not go further. Tears rolled from my eyes uncontrolled. I later collected details from these forms and other families and also from what was published in papers and narrated by other eyewitnesses and completed this report..

While the women with Dupattas shed silent tears recalling the events, I forced myself not to cry.



These Sikligar Sikhs had migrating from Sindh in Pakistan in 1948, wandering in Mumbai, Jodhpur, Jaipur and Alwar, finally settled in Prem Nagar in Delhi, from where they were evicted and resettled in Sultanpuri in 1977. They were allotted 22 square yard houses of Sultanpuri, by the Indira Gandhi government, after their eviction from Prem Nagar in 1977. In this one room, one kitchen and one bathroom house, with toilets at a distance of 200 yards or more as public toilets, live more than 7-10 members of the family. Just outside the house, at the door is the small coal-based foundry which is their main source of living. They work outside their homes in perpetual fear that the pollution-control bodies of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi will not impose penalty, harass and arrest them. which by 1984 became an overgrown suburb far from the upcoming clean and green environs of the growing metropolis but now is part of the city and home to families with no less than 7 to 10 members in each house.. The squalor and filth of the area makes one wonder whether one is in Delhi or the backwaters of Bihar or Uttar Pradesh. They had been Sikh since Sindh days. Under the leadership of their elder Basant Singh, they had managed to build a Gurdwara at Sultanpuri [1]

Gurdwara Sahib at Sultanpuri in 1984 built by Sikligars​

Armed mobs took over the streets in Delhi by 8 AM on 01 Novemer 1984. Gurdwaras were among the first targets. The worst-affected areas were low-income neighbor-hoods such as Inderlok (erstwhile Trilokpuri), Shahdara, Geeta Colony, Mongolpuri and Sultanpuri. Details of incidents recorded in Nanavati Commission ar e a glimpse of these incidents



As per Nanavati Commission report (p.112-118) about Police Station Sultanpuri where Sikligar Sikhs lived, “ this area was one of the worst affected areas of Delhi. Here the violent attacks on Sikhs and their properties were on a large scale. The blocks mainly affected were A-4, C-4 and F Block.

The affidavits of persons residing in Blocks A and B disclose that in the morning of 1-11-84 between 8 and 9 am, a mob of about 500 - 600 persons gathered near B-2 Park and it was addressed by local Congress(I) M.P. Shri Sajjan Kumar who instigated them by telling that “Sardarro ne hamari Indira Gandhi mari hai, ab sardoro ko maro, looto aurag laga do”. The mob was raising slogans Khoon Ka Badla Khoon & Sardoron Ko Jaan Se Mar do”. Thereafter houses of the Sikhs in different blocks were attacked. These attacks continued for the whole day and on the following day also. More than 50 people were killed during these attacks and more than 650 houses were looted and burnt. Sumer Singh S/O Bhioja Singh, Phota Singh, S/o Doonger Singh, Sidhouri Kaur W/o Annaand Singh, Anwar Kaur W/o Naveen Singh, Manbari Kaur, W/o Kuldeep Singh, Jal Kaur W/o Ram Singh, Jatan Kaur W/o Mistri Singh, Cham Kaur W/o Anar Singh, Smt. Prem Kaur W/o Amar Singh, Smt. Chal Kaur W/o Mohinder Singh, Bhag Singh W/o Balwant Singh, Bhikeli Kaur W/o Joginder Singh, Ram Kaur W/o Shaankar Singh, Salawati KaurW/o Wazir Singh, Jeet Kaur W/o Sangat Singh, Padmi Kaur W/o Charan Singh, Dhoban Kaur W/o Ishwar Singh have described the attacks on their own houses and other houses in the locality and killing of their near relatives. Sumer Singh, Phota Singh, Sidhouri Kaur, Jatan Kaur and Prem Kaur have specifically named Sajjan Kumar, Congress(I) MP as the person who addressed the mob on that day in the morning near B - 2 Park and incited it to attack Sikhs.

Sumer Singh, Manbari Kaur, Smt. Chal Kaur and others have also stated that Nathu Pradhan, Jai Bhagwan and others led one mob. Persons in the mob were armed with weapons and had also brought with them kerosene oil and petrol. Mr. Bhati, Station House Officer of Sultanpuri Police Station and Jai Chand Havaldar were also with the mob. Instead of helping the Sikhs who had gathered together, Station House Officer Bhati was telling them to go to their respective houses. He had alsothreatened them that if they came out of their houses he would fire upon them. Soon after the Sikhs went to their houses, the mob started attacking Sikhs. Prem Kaur’s house was set on fire and when her husband and two sons tried to run away from that place, her husband was hit by a bullet fired by Station House Officer Bhatia. Her sons were also hit by shots fired by the crowd. Prem Kaur has stated that when she tried to go near her sons Nathu Pradhan, Brahmanand Gupta and Rajesh stripped her and committed rape. Jeet Kaur W/o Sangat Singh has stated that Gupta, who had a kerosene oil depot, incited the mob to loot and kill Sikhs. She has also stated that the Police asked them to remain inside their houses. She has also spoken about the firing towards their houses. After sometime those policemen themselves led a mob armed with lethal weapons and attacked her house. The mob dragged her husband out and burnt him alive. Jeet Kaur has stated that she recognized Nathu Pradhan, Jai Bhagwan Gupta from the mob as theywere prominent persons of the locality. (p. 112)



Padmi Kaur W/o Sheetal Singh has stated in her affidavit that some persons from the mob caught her daughter Maina Kaur and when they were tearing her clothes, herhusband begged them to let her go. He was killed and the daughter was taken away. She has also stated that the mob was led by Brahmanand Gupta, Uddal and Nathu Pradhan. One Mr. Omi came in a tempo at night, loaded the dead bodies and took them away. In spite of so many incidents, which took place in A-4 Block on 1-11-84, only one FIR (FIR No. 250) was recorded by the Police. During the investigation of that FIR, murders of 137 persons at different places of Sultan Puri were included in it. On 2-11-1984 also, attacks had continued in a similar manner. Smt. Durjan Kaur W/o Dalip Singh, Ramesh Kaur W/o Dedar Singh, Ghuddi Kaur, W/o Jarnail Singh, Jeet Kaur W/o Sangat Singh, Banto Kaur W/o Inder Singh, Jatan Kaur, Sant Kaur, Rajani Kaur, Bori Bai and Cham Kaur have described in their affidavits the incidents witnessed by them. Ramesh Kaur has specifically named Nathu Pradan and Om Tempawala as the persons leading the mob. She has also stated that SHO Bhatia, and Hawaldar Jai Chand were also in that mob. Ghuddi Kaur has also named Omi, Nathu Pradhan and Brahmanand Gupta as the persons who had killed her husband by pouring kerosene on him. Some persons are also named by Banto Kaur and Jatan Kaur. In respect of these incidents in Block A-4 on 2-11-84, FIR No. 252 was registered on 13-11-84. During investigation of this case, deaths of 95 persons and many cases of arson and lootingwere included in it.

In P – Block about 600 houses were attacked. These attacked began at 2 pm andcontinued during the night. Parsnni Kaur, Malkit Singh, Gopi Kaur, Lakhwinder Kaur, Sardar Harnam Singh, Manjit Singh, Kartar Singh, Thakuri Devi have spoken about the incidents which took place in this block. On 1-11-84, 10 sikhs were killed in P Block and many houses of Sikhs were looted and burnt. All these incidents were made a part of FIR No. 250 or FIR 251. C-4 Block of Sultanpuri was the worst affected block. In that block,attacks had started right from the morning of 1-11-1984 and continued upto 3-11-1984. (P.113)

Rajni Devi has stated that sometime after 8 a.m. on that day, a mob came to her house took her husband out and burnt him by throwing some white powder on him. Pinia Singh speaks about the attack on him and others at about 10 a.m. He has stated that when Sikhs were being attacked, police was just watching instead of helping them. He has stated that kerosene was supplied by Gupta who was the owner of kerosene oil depot. He was able to recognise some more persons in the mob and disclosed their identify to the Police. He has also stated that Station House Officer Bhatia shot Tota Singh Mastana in his presence. Gopi Kaur has spoken about the attack on her house in the evening. She has stated that Sultanpuri’s Thanedar was with the mob. That Thanedar shot dead an old Sikh. Her husband was brutally killed in front of her and thereafter he was set on fire by throwing kerosene oil on him. The said mob was led by Prem, Gopi and Denny. Vidya Devi whose husband was also burnt alive by a mob has stated that the mob was led by Shri Sajjan Kumar, who was a Member of Parliament. She has stated that Danny, Prem, Raju. Gopi and others dragged her husband out of the house and burnt him alive.

Asudhi Bai, Inder Singh and Bhagwani Bai have also stated about the incidents which took place in this block. Bhagwani Bai has specifically stated that Member of Parliament Shri Sajjan Kumar came with a mob and instigated it to burn her house and kill the inmates. Her two sons were burnt by the mob in front of her own eyes. Pehalwan Singh R/o F-Block has stated mobs had started collecting in their area right from 6 a.m. on 1-11-84. Teede Kaur has also stated a mob collected outside her house at about 9 AM. Sangat Singh, Anek Kaur, Pehalwan Singh, Shoba Singh, FilmKaur, Burfi Kaur, Teede Kaur, Uttam Singh, Santra Kaur, Rangbai Kaur and other havenarrated in their affidavits the incidents of killing of their family members before their own eyes. (p.114)

Anek Kaur has stated that her house was surrounded by a mob between 8 and 9 p.m. on that day. The mob was led by Rattan and Congress (I) leader Jai Singh. The policemen who were standing there were inciting the mob to kill sardars and burnt theirhouses. Her house was looted and set on fire. She has also stated earlier when shealongwith others had gone to Block E - 6 Sajjan Kumar M.P. and Jai Kishan a Congress(I) leader had come in a jeep and when she had run upto them for protection Jai Kishan had said that only 6 sardars were left and that he would get them killed. Sajjan Kumar had also stated that they should be beaten to death. More than 170 incidents had happened in the F - Block on 1-11-84. There were about 114 such incidents on 2- 11-84 and 5 on 3-11-84. Regarding the incidents which took place in E – Block between 1-11-84 and 3-11-84, one person had filed an affidavit before Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission. Teerath Singh, Santra Kaur, Sukhi Kaur, Anek Singh, Dina Singh, Jagar Singh, Itbar Singh, Sheila Kaur, Amarjeet Kaur, Ram Pyari, Atma Singh, Kaura Singh, Bhag Singh, Maina Kaur, Shanti Kaur, Roshani Kaur, Shyam Kaur who were residents of E-6 have filed affidavits before this Commission. All of them have generally stated that their houses were looted and burnt and male members of their family were killed by the mobs.

Moti Singh of B-Block has stated that on 1-11-84 at about 8.30 a.m. Shri Sajjan Kumar had told the mob which had gathered near B – Block to kill the “sons of snakes” and he would reward them because they had murdered their Prime Minister. Shri Sajjan Kumar had also told the mob that whosoever killed Roshan Singh or Bhag Singh would be given Rs.5000/- and those who kill other Sikhs would be given a reward of Rs.1000/- per head. Thereafter Nathu Pradhan and Congress(I) worker Bharti had stated that they would kill sardars. Station House Officer Shri Bhati who was already present there had thereafter told the Sikhs to go inside their houses.

Sometime thereafter attacks on Sikhs started and large number of Sikhs were killed. He has also spoken about an incident, which happened on 2-11-84. At about 6 a.m. a mob came near his house but soon started going to some other place. So his son Roshan Singh thought of running away to a safe place. By the time Roshan Singh was two steps away from their house, Station House (p.115) Officer Bhati fired at him from his revolver and said that “Mera Hota Hooye Koi Sikh Bach Ke Nahi Ja Sakta”. This attack on the Moti Singh was also seen by his grand son. So, he went out to save Moti Singh. Thereupon Jai Chand fired a shot at Moti Singh’s grand son and killed him. Another grand son of Moti Singh then went to their rescue but he was also injured by a shot fired by Jai Chand. He has further stated that after about 15 minutes Brahmanand Gupta brought kerosene oil in a bucket and poured kerosene overtheir bodies and set them ablaze. Some time between 7 and 8 a.m. one Uddal had killed Virsha Singh, his wife and his son by firing shots at them. He has stated that he had seen Gupta, Telwara, Nathu Pradhan and other persons in that mob. Kalia, resident of this Block, has also filed an affidavit narrating the incident which took place at about 12.00 noon. He has named Manoj and Pradhan of Juggi as the persons who were leading that mob. Guddi Kaur has also spoken about the attack on their house and named Nathu Pradhan, Jai Bhagwan and some others as the persons who were in the mob. Joginder Singh has specifically stated that M.P. Sajjan Kumar brought a mob which was armed with weapons and had brought kerosene oil with them. Nathu Pradhan and some other persons were in the mob. Sajjan Kumar was telling them that they have 72 hours freedom to kill Sikhs and that they should see that no Sikh escaped. Station House Officer of Sultanpuri Police Station was there. He has stated that he had seen the Station House Officer firing from his revolver and killing three Sikhs. Jagdish Kaur, Inder Kaur have also spoken generally about the attacks on their houses and killing of their relatives.

In FIR No.250 incidents involving deaths of 137 Sikhs and 88 cases of looting of houses were investigated. In FIR No.251 incidents involving of 24 Sikhs and 66 cases of looting or house burning were investigated. In FIR No.252, 95 deaths of Sikhs and 71 cases of looting and damaging houses were investigated. In this case 32 persons were arrested and chargesheeted. 3 accused were convicted and 29 accused were acquitted. (p. 116).

In FIR No.268, 112 deaths of Sikhs and 436 cases of looting and damaging houses were investigated. In this FIR all the incidents for which complaints were received but were not included in FIR Nos. 250, 251 and 252 were included. This FIR was recorded on 19-12-84.

In the written submissions filed by the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) it is submitted that Station House Officer Bhati and Head Constable Jai Chand had forced the Sikhs to go inside their houses under a threat of using force against them. This was done with a view to prevent them from defending themselves collectively. After the Sikhs were thus separated the mobs were allowed to attack them. It is also their allegation that the Station House Officer of this Police Station was not only seen leading a mob but had killed Sikhs. It is also submitted on the basis of the affidavits of Prem Kumar, Moti Singh and Satyawati Kaur that Havaldar Jai Chand had fired at Jairnal Singh and killed him. It is further submitted that from the affidavit of Penniya Singh and Gopi Kaur it is clear that Tota Singh was killed by Bhati. It is further submitted that inspite of large number of murder and incidents of looting and damaging houses only one FIR was recorded on 1-11-84 and one FIR was recorded on 3-11-84. Subsequently a third FIR was recorded on 13-11-84.

Large number of incidents of looting and arson had taken place on 1-11-84 in Blocks A, B, C, E, F & P of Sultanpuri. In most of these cases the police threatened and forced Sikhs to go inside their houses and then they were allowed to be attacked by mobs with full connivance of the police. Affidavits of Smt. Jatan Kaur, Guddi Kaur, Chal Kaur and Shri Moti Singh clearly show that this attitude of some policemen of this Police Station. Affidavit of Ramesh Kaur, Sangat Singh, Gopi Kaur, Prem Kaur, Smt. Gulbani Kaur and Smt. Guddi Kaur disclose that not only the Station House Officer was seen by them leading the mob but he had fired some shots and killed two or three Sikhs. While firing at Roshan Singh he is alleged to have said “ No Sikh can go from here alive while I am here.” Havaldar Jai Chand is also alleged to have fired on Jarnail Singh and killed him. Affidavits of Shri Moti Singh, Smt. Prem Kaur, Smt. Salavati Kaur, Sh. Piyana Singh and Smt. Gopi Kaur show that Tota Singh was shot by Station House Officer Bhati. (p.117)

Some of the affidavits further show that police officers in-charge of the Police Station refused to record complaints of the individuals. Affidavits of Shri Kaliya and Smt. Rajni Devi show that Sikhs were humiliated and asked to shave their hair at this Police Station. Some of the dead bodies of the victims were disposed of by the police after carrying them away in tempos. The material also indicates that to ensure that Sikhs were not able to escape and the killers were not identified, electric supply of this area was switched off. Some Sikhs who were considered to be influential or could subsequently create trouble were isolated and taken to Thana. No preventive arrests were made between 31-10-84 and 2-11-84. (P. 118)” [3]

In Block A of Sultanpuri where Sikligars lived, on 1st November 1984, when police-led mobs attacked the Gurdwara, as an organized crowd after the murder of Smt. Indira Government at Sultanpuri shouting ‘khoon k badla khoon’ (the slogan first shouted by Amitabh Bachan at the residence of Indira Gandhi and I am witness to his slogan shouting on TV), no Sikhs were spared. The first attack was on Sardar Basant Singh, who had managed to build the Gurdwara there, was brutally attacked and killed with vengeance. (This had remained wallowed up for a long time amongst the “others”). The Gurdwara was then set on fire. Nihal Singh the octogenarian Granthi, who with his son, at the full risk to his life, saved three Saroops of Guru Granth Sahib when asked to recall the times nonchalantly said, “Ki Yaad kariye, police aayi si, phir lok aaye sann, jaan-pehchaan vale lok, ik haneri aayi te sadhe kunbe de kahi lokan ni aapne lappet vich lai gayi. Assi log maare gaye sann A block vich”. Nihal Singh and his wife had taken Amrit after partition, along with hundreds of Sikhs at an Amrit Parchar ceremony organized by Master Tara Singh at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, when the Gurdwara was merely a tin-sheet roof. (1) Another Sikh Sohan Singh who tried to save Saroop of Guru Granth Sahib was burnt alive with a Sarup in his lap. He had pleaded that the Guru be spared, but the others had other plans. They did not spare him, nor the Guru. ”. Next targets were the houses. Men, houses and property was put to fire sprinkling kerosene. In some houses, for want of kerosene, they were tied to their beddings and set afire. Somehow, two or three male Sikhs escaped from the worse-than Russian ghettoes dwelling built by the Indian government to honour the housing rights of the marginalized sections of society. (1) The ghetto of Sultanpuri on the outskirts of Delhi, where the lampions, police, friends and acquaintances coordinated well orchestrated attacks to kill the poorest Sikhs in cold-blood

The local MLA Jai Kishen and the Member of Parliament, Ms Krishna Tirath, representing this constituency is from the Congress party, the same party which led the anti-Sikh pogrom from the front. It is the same party which forced hapless widows to retract evidence so that Gupta, Nathu and Islam could go scot free.The fear amongst the survived was immense.

Their helplessness was evident in what one lady president of the Gurdwara said, “hamare bacchon ko kissi tarah kesh rakhana sikha do, hamko bahut sharam aati hai.”They say so because though the shadow of fear of November 1984 is no more, atleast on the surface, it has become an easy excuse for the young ones, who go out of their settlement in search of work. At some level, in spite of the bravado of some middle-aged Sikhs, the fear lurks.

Sultanpuri is only one of the many deras, where these beloved traditional weapon makers, the Sikligar Sikhs, the protectors of Sikh honour and dignity, were made sitting ducks in an organized and orchestrated genocidal plan to wipe ou t the poorest of the poor. Their lives have been shattered. Today, their children shorn their hair, forgetting the age-old message passed onto them from generation to generation “Kesh nahi katane hai, chahe jaan chali jaaye.” The bonds with tradition amongst the Sikligar Sikhs is so strong that they withstood the onslaught of the Mughals and the British, they have buttressed the proselytization campaigns of the Christians and the RSS in many parts of the country, but November 1984 shattered their lives and traditions. (1)

The families of these Sikhs were later shifted to Trilokpuri and no one was left at Block A of Sultanpuri. A Nihang Singh has been looking after the Sulrtanpuri Gurdwara.

Successive Indian governments’ failure to prosecute those most responsible for killings and other abuses during the 1984 anti-Sikh violence highlights India’s weak efforts to combat communal violence. The new Indian government should seek police reforms and to enact a law against communal violence that would hold public officials accountable for complicity and dereliction of duty.

Ten government-appointed commissions and committees have investigated the deadly attacks against thousands of Sikhs in 1984 following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. Independent civil society inquiries found complicity by both police and leaders of Gandhi’s Congress Party. Yet, three decades later, only 30 people, mostly low-ranking Congress Party supporters, have been convicted for the attacks that resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries. No police officer has been convicted, and there were no prosecutions for rape, highlighting a comprehensive failure of the justice system.

“India’s failure to prosecute those most responsible for the anti-Sikh violence in 1984 has not only denied justice to Sikhs, but has made all Indians more vulnerable to communal violence,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities repeatedly blocked investigations to protect the perpetrators of atrocities against Sikhs, deepening public distrust in India’s justice system.”

Now the advocate H S Phoolka who has been regjlarly following these cases has asked Supreme Court to apologise for not giving justice to the Sikhs even after 44 days.

References

1. Jagmohan Singh, Sikligar Sikhs, Sultanpuri and Delhi in November 1984
Sikligar Sikhs, Sultanpuri and Delhi in November 1984

2. India: No Justice for 1984 Anti-Sikh BloodshedFailure to Prosecute “Organized Carnage” Shows Need for Police Reforms, Communal Violence Law India: No Justice for 1984 Anti-Sikh Bloodshed

3. G. T. Nanavati, Chairman, Justice Nanavati Commission Of Inquiry, 1984 Anti-Sikh RiotsNew Delhi, Dated: 09-02-2005, pp.112-118