Operation Bluestar has come to be remembered as the teeja Ghallughara the third holocaust. Many gurdwaras outside India and perhaps some even in India have incorporated the remembrance of the teeja Ghallughara in the ardaas.
In Sikh historical memory, there have been two Ghallugharas before Operation Bluestar — the chhota Ghallughara the small holocaust and the wadda Ghallughara the big holocaust.
The chhota Ghallughara took place in May when, according to estimates made by the celebrated Sikh historian Professor Ganda Singh, about 10, Sikh men and women were killed. The wadda Ghallughara took place in February when about 30, Sikh men, women and children were slaughtered. According to one as yet unconfirmed estimate, about half of the total Sikh population was liquidated during the wadda Ghallughara.
These were the darkest times in the history of the Sikhs. These massacres could have demoralised them to the point of extinction, but, inspired by the memories of their gurus and martyrs, they regrouped and within a few decades of the wadda Ghallughara , emerged literally from the ashes to become the de facto rulers of Punjab in the last quarter of the 18th century. By , one of them Ranjit Singh formalised that de facto rule to become the Maharaja of Punjab.
The force of memory weighed upon him too and he ruled, therefore, in the name of the gurus. Some features of feudal degeneration which emerged during his rule were the result of his dissociation from the memory of the path of the gurus. During the dark times the Sikh community faced from , when the Sikh warrior Banda Singh Bahadur was martyred, to when Ranjit Singh came to power, Harmandar Sahib later known more popularly as the Golden Temple became the nerve centre for the moral, political, military, spiritual and even economic empowerment of the community.
While living the life of guerrilla combatants against the Moghul powers, the leading members of the community would meet twice a year on Vaisakhi and Diwali for deliberations and collective decision-making for the future survival of the community. Once in the precincts of the Harmandar Sahib, they considered themselves protected by the Guru and had no fear of any earthly powers such as the Moghul rulers they had to confront. The mystique of the Harmandar grew and this mystique has continued and strengthened over the centuries.
The Golden Temple has literally become the heart of the community. The Golden Temple in Amritsar. Credit: Reuters. The death, destruction and sacrilege caused during Operation Bluestar pierced the heart not only of the Sikhs but also of many Punjabi Hindus. The devastation it caused in the personal lives of so many millions has still not been fully recorded and acknowledged because the political divide over the attitudes towards Operation Bluestar has overshadowed the human stories.
I will share two stories from my family. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Act Join Us Report human rights violations. In June , the Indian Army attacked Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as the Golden Temple, as well as over 40 other gurdwaras Sikh places of worship throughout Punjab. This assault marked the beginning of a policy of gross human rights violations in Punjab that continues to have profound implications for the rule of law in India.
However, the government launched military operations during a Sikh religious holiday, when the complex was overflowing with worshippers. Eyewitnesses report that over 10, pilgrims were trapped inside the complex on June 3rd when the government imposed a shoot-on-sight curfew, preventing anyone from escaping. Many who did manage to leave were taken into detention. The Army began its full-scale attack early morning on June 4.
We took refuge in an office room in the complex but the bullets followed us everywhere. I was hit in my hip. Many of my village mates and others were fatally wounded. It was pitch dark, hot, humid and so deafeningly noisy that one could not tell if the person lying next to him was dead or still alive. Although Indian Army officials claimed that the attacks involved necessary force with a minimal amount of casualties, Ranbir Kaur, a school teacher who was visiting the Harmandir Sahib on a field trip, witnessed the execution of over people who had been locked inside the basement.
Doctors who conducted post mortems reported that the hands of Sikhs had been tied behind their backs with their turbans as pictured, and they had been executed at point-blank range. In contrast, according to the head librarian, Army troops burned the Sikh Reference Library housing rare Sikh manuscripts and historical artifacts, after they had taken control of the building.
Part of the burned library is pictured at right. Photo courtesy of the Tribune. Subsequent to the attack, the Army hastily cremated the dead. According to Associated Press reporter Brahma Chellaney, truckloads of bodies were transported to nearby crematoria around the clock. Nongovernment sources estimate that anywhere from 4, to 8, were killed in the attack.
Gurmej Singh, pictured above, was among those illegally detained and tortured after Operation Blue Star. His family had given him up for dead until he was released in He was never convicted of a crime. Photo courtesy of the BBC. Operation Bluestar was aimed at neutralising militant Sikh preacher Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale and his band of armed supporters ensconced in the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar.
Share Via. By hindustantimes. Topics operation bluestar jarnail singh bhindranwale. Get our Daily News Capsule Subscribe. Thank you for subscribing to our Daily News Capsule newsletter.
Whatsapp Twitter Facebook Linkedin. Sign Up. Edit Profile.
0コメント