The Punjab Story6 June 1984: The Indian Army storms the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Called Operation Bluestar, the historic and unprecedented event ended the growing spectre of terrorism perpetrated by the extremist Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his followers once and for all. But it left in its wake unsolved political questions that continued to threaten Punjab's stability for years to come. How, in a brief span of three years, did India's dynamic frontier state become a national problem? Who was to blame: the central government for allowing the crisis to drift despite warnings, or the long-drawn-out Akali agitation, or the notorious gang of militants who transformed a holy shrine into a sanctuary for terrorists? First published two months after Operation Bluestar, The Punjab Story pieces together the complex Punjab jigsaw through the eyes of some of India's most eminent public figures and journalists. Writing with the passion and conviction of those who were involved with the drama, they present a wide-ranging perspective on the past, present and future of the Punjab tangle; and the truth of many of their'conclusions having been borne out by time. |
Contents
Terrorist in the Temple | |
Blood Sweat and Tears | |
An Eyewitness Account | |
Assault on the Golden Temple Complex | |
Myth and Reality | |
The Great Divide | |
A Summary | |
About the Contributors | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
agitation AISSF Akal Takht Akhand Kirtani Jatha Amarjit Kaur Amreek Singh Amritsar Anandpur Sahib Anandpur Sahib Resolution armed army action army’s arrest asked assault Babbar Khalsa Badal became began believed Bhindranwale building Chandigarh commanders Congress(I curfew Darbara dead defences Delhi demands extremists fact fighting fire Gandhi Golden Temple Golden Temple complex government’s grenades guns Gurcharan Singh gurdwara Guru Nanak Guru Nanak Niwas Guru Ram Guru Ram Das Harmandir Sahib Haryana Hindi Hindus and Sikhs hukumnama India inside the Golden Jarnail Singh Jathedar jawans June kar seva Khalistan killed kirtan Langar language large number later leadership lives Longowal majority Mehta militants morcha Muslim Nirankaris officers Operation Bluestar Pakistan Parikrama police political Punjab Punjabi Hindus religion religious SGPC Shabeg Singh Sikh community Sikhism Singh Samundari Hall Singh Sandhu taken talks tanks Teja Singh Samundari terrorism terrorists Tohra told took troops village violence weapons