Operation Blue Star: A look at what happened in Amritsar 35 years ago

Amritsar in Punjab has turned into a virtual fortress with Operation Blue Star’s 35th anniversary on June 6. Over 3,000 security personnel have been deployed and police are maintaining a hawk-eyed vigil in sensitive areas.

Police suspect that a militant outfit, Khalistan Liberation Force, may try to create disturbance in the state in view of Operation Blue Star’s anniversary.

What was Operation Blue Star?

The operation was carried out by the Indian Army in 1984 to flush out militants hiding in the Harmandir Sahib or the Golden Temple complex, in Amritsar. It was carried out within the premises of the shrine between June 1 and June 8, 1984.

Why was it carried out?

It all started with the rise of the Khalistan movement in India. It was a Sikh separatist movement, which aimed to create a separate country called Khalistan (Land of the Khalsa) in the Punjab region, to serve as a homeland for Sikhs.

The movement is said to have started in early 1940s and 1950s. But, it reached its zenith in between 1970s and 1980s.

The movement gained momentum after Sikh extremist religious leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale joined the movement. In 1982, he started the groundwork for his demand and by mid-1983, he managed to gain support for Khalistan’s creation.

In July 1982, he moved to Harmandir Sahib and took over the Akal Takht complex, where he began persuading that Sikhs should initiate a battle for Khalistan. He then set up a base inside and was said to have gathered a considerable following of like-minded Sikhs. Bhindranwale had also reportedly stockpiled weapons inside the compound.

Operation Blue Star was particularly aimed to eliminate Bhindranwale from the shrine.

The Operation and its consequences

Then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered a military operation to take back control of the Golden Temple from the armed militants.

The operation was code-named ‘Blue Star’. According to government authorities, hundreds of people were killed in action, including Bhindranwale.

Aftermath of Operation Blue Star

Though the sanctity of the Golden Temple was restored and militants and arms were eliminated from the shrine, the operation was heavily criticised by many Sikhs. Months later, PM Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards for permitting the operation.