Operation Blue Star was a military operation carried out by the Indian Army in June 1984 to remove Sikh militants, led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, from the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) complex in Amritsar, Punjab. The operation was ordered by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to eliminate militants who had fortified the temple and were demanding an independent Sikh state, Khalistan.
Key Points:
- Background: Sikh militancy had been rising in Punjab, with Bhindranwale and his followers taking refuge in the Golden Temple, turning it into a heavily armed stronghold.
- The Operation: Conducted between June 1-10, 1984, the army used tanks, artillery, and commandos to storm the temple, leading to intense fighting.
- Casualties: Official reports estimate hundreds of militants and civilians were killed, though Sikh groups claim the number was much higher. Many parts of the temple complex were heavily damaged.
- Aftermath: The operation caused widespread anger among Sikhs, leading to Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984. This, in turn, triggered anti-Sikh riots, where thousands of Sikhs were killed across India.
- Impact: Operation Blue Star remains a highly sensitive topic in Sikh history, viewed by many as a tragic attack on Sikhism’s holiest shrine.
