Operation Blue Star- Background, Response, and Aftermath - UPSC Notes

Operation Blue Star was an operation conducted by the Indian Armed Forces that took place in 1984 in the state of Punjab. The operation started on 1 June 1984 when the Indian armed forces fired into various buildings in the Golden Temple Complex, which resulted in the deaths of multiple civilians. The Operation took place after the Indian government led by PM Indira Gandhi rejected the proposal of the Anandpur resolution put forward by JS Bhindranwale, who wanted the Government to pass the same and thus agree to the formation of a state of Khalistan in India for Sikhs among other demands. 

Topics are related to important topics related to Indian internal security and form an important part of the UPSC Exam under the syllabus of the General Studies (GS- 3) paper of the UPSC Mains Exam. 

This article on Testbook will discuss in a detailed way the background of Operation Blue Star, its purpose, history, reasons, responses, significance, aftermath, etc, which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation. The UPSC aspirants can also take the help of Testbook’s UPSC Online Coaching to boost their UPSC Exam preparation!

What is Operation Blue Star?

Operation Blue Star was initiated to eliminate Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his followers, who had taken refuge in the Amritsar Harmandir Sahib Complex. Starting on June 3, a 36-hour curfew was enforced in Punjab, halting all communication and public travel and causing a total blackout with interrupted electricity supply. Media censorship was rigorously imposed, isolating the state from the outside world.

Under the command of Kuldip Singh Brar, the army launched an assault on Harmandir Sahib on the night of June 5. By the morning of June 7, the forces had gained complete control of Harmandir Sahib. The operation resulted in casualties among the army, civilians, and militants, including the death of Sikh leaders Bhindranwale and Shabeg Singh.

Background of Operation Blue Star

Operation Blue Star was ordered by the then Prime Minister of India, Smt. Indira Gandhi with an aim to take control of the Harmandir Sahib Complex in Amritsar, also popularly known as the Golden Temple which is a holy shrine of the Sikhs. 

• Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale wanted the Government of India to pass the Anandpur Resolution, which sought the formation of a separate state of Khalistan for Sikhs, among other demands. 
• By 1982, the radical leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale had managed to gain enough support for his cause and by the next year, he had set up a base inside the Golden Temple complex, with ammunition as well as his followers. 
• It was not easy for the armed forces to take back control of the Golden Temple from armed militants and preserve its sanctity at the same time. 
• After nearly a year of consultations and negotiations, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi decided that the only option left was to carry out a military operation, which led to Operation Blue Star.

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Anandpur Resolution

• The Anandpur Sahib Resolution was a resolution passed with a set of demands that was made by the Shiromani Akali Dal, the Punjabi Sikh political party, in 1973.
• The resolution demanded considerable autonomy for the state of Punjab, also identified regions that would be part of a separate Khalistani state, and even sought the state’s right to frame its internal constitution. 
• It asked for the creation of a new All India gurdwara law so as to ensure more efficient and meaningful management of places of worship as well as community centres. 
• The resolution demanded that the Centre's jurisdiction be limited to the affairs of defense, communications, foreign affairs, and currency and that all residuary powers be devolved to the state.
• It aimed to bring all of the world's gurdwaras under a single banner in order to make Sikh religious procedures and proceedings consistent around the world.

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Background of the Khalistan Movement

Since the early 1970s, radical separatists spearheaded a bloody campaign to carve out an independent, radial Sikh state known as Khalistan, commonly known as the “Land of the Pure” in Punjab and other parts of Northern India. 

• The roots of the Khalistan movement lie back in the British colonial policies of the late 1800s as well as the early 1900s, which sought to divide the Sikhs and Hindus. Sikhs were recruited into the British army in large numbers and were used against Hindu rulers who rebelled against the British Raj.
• After the Indian independence in 1947, tensions between the state of Punjab and the central Indian government started taking place, leading to grievances amongst many Sikhs against the Indian government.
• Punjab was trifurcated into the states of Haryana, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh in 1966, along linguistic lines, which created resentment amongst many Sikhs that the historic borders of Punjab were being further divided after it had already been divided between India and Pakistan in the partition of 1947.
• Many Sikhs also resented sharing the joint capital of Chandigarh with the nearby Haryana. They viewed the water-sharing agreements with Haryana as unjust and unfair and favouring farmers in Haryana to the detriment of those in Punjab. 
• Sikh religious leaders were getting apprehensive about the Sikh community losing its identity and culture and wanted a greater share of state powers for Punjab.
• The Sikh community perceived these policies as religiously motivated policies of discrimination against them. It was further exploited by radical leaders, who built a perception that Sikh interests could only be in safe hands in an independent Sikh region of Khalistan. 
• The Khalistan movement further peaked in the decades 1980-1990s, and the violent campaign included bombings, kidnappings, assassinations, as well as selective killing and massacres of civilians.
• In response to this movement, and in an attempt to end militancy in Punjab, the Indian security forces and local Punjab police responded with force.
• It left a deep scar on the political, social, and cultural landscape of Punjab. 

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Key Points of Operation Blue Star

Operation Blue Star consisted of a two-stage operation: the first one was known as Operation Metal, which was restricted to the elimination of the armed militants present inside the Golden Temple complex. This was followed by another operation called Operation Woodrose, which was carried out across the state to ensure that all suspects were either captured or killed. Following was the turn of events in the operation Blue Star:

• The Golden Temple complex, commonly the Harmandir Sahib, is a revered religious site for Sikhs and is considered the holiest shrine in the Sikh religion.
• In 1984, a group of militants led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale took refuge inside the complex, along with a large number of armed supporters around him.
• Operation Blue Star, which began on June 3, 1984, involved the deployment of thousands of Indian Army troops, tanks, as well as artillery around the Golden Temple complex. 
• Operation Blue Star was commanded by Lt. General Kuldip Singh Brar, operating under General Sundarji.
• On 3rd June, a 36-hour curfew was imposed in Punjab, detaching the state from all modes of communication, electricity, and transport. 
• Thousands of Sikhs had gathered inside the complex of the Golden Temple to celebrate the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev. However, they all were trapped inside the Gurudwara after the said curfew was imposed on 3rd June.
• The Indian Armed Forces stormed the Harmandir Sahib complex on the night of June 5, and Operation Blue Star lasted for another five days, during which heavy gunfire and explosions rocked and affected the complex, causing significant damage to the temple and surrounding buildings.
• The Akal Takht was heavily equipped with sandbags and gun emplacements in its windows and arches from where the dissidents were able to fire at any commandos who made their way in front of the Gurudwara.
• The forces had full control of Harmandir Sahib by the morning of June 7. Sikh leaders JS Bhindranwale and Shabeg Singh were killed in the operation.

Operation Blue Star cleared terrorists from the Golden Temple compound, but it received backlash from the Sikh community worldwide. 

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The Aftermath of Operation Blue Star

The operation was considered to be a controversial one as it had severe ramifications for many sections. In the long term, the Sikh community became more assertive about their identity and their place in Indian society. However, there was a series of violence across the country against Sikh people immediately after the incident. 

• In 1985, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee filed a damages suit for Rs 1000 crore in relation to Operation Blue Star. 
• Operation Blue Star has been the subject of several inquiry commissions and investigations, including the 1984 Misra Commission and the 2005 Nanavati Commission, both of which sought to uncover the events leading up to the operation, deaths, and its aftermath. 
• The aftermath of Operation Blue Star also saw an increase in militant activities as well as violence in Punjab, leading to a decade-long insurgency followed by a brutal crackdown by the Indian security forces.
• The operation sparked widespread protests and anger among the Sikh community in India as well as abroad, who viewed it as an attack on their religious and cultural identity.
• Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who gave a nod to Operation Blue Star, was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards later in the year. 
• The 1984 Sikh Riots broke out, which lasted for three days and led to a number of deaths, which is estimated by various independent sources at around 8,000-16,000. 
• In 1986, the Chief of Army Staff at the time of the operation- General AS Vaidya, was assassinated by Sikh militants in revenge.
• The bombing of Air India Flight 182 from Canada to Delhi in 1985 is believed to have been another act of revenge for Operation Blue Star.
• Many Sikh army men in the Indian Army mutinied because of the operation. Many Sikhs resigned from administrative positions in the government.
• On July 24, 1985, the then-Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Punjabi Akali leader Harchand Singh Longowal signed the Rajiv–Longowal Accord or simply the Punjab Accord.

1984 Sikh Riots

• On October 31, 1984, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards as revenge, which was followed by anti-Sikh riots across the country. 
• The riot lasted three days, with Sikhs facing violence, their homes and businesses torched, especially in the regions around Delhi.
• Politicians' complicity in the violence and judicial failure to penalize the perpetrators alienated Sikhs and raised support for the movement of Khalistan.

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Rajiv- Longowal Accord

PM Rajiv Gandhi initiated negotiations with the Akali leaders in the belief that a settlement with them would provide a lasting solution to the Punjab problem. Finally, in Aug 1985, Rajiv Gandhi and Longowal signed the Rajiv-Longowal, or commonly the Punjab Accord. 

• Under the agreement, it was agreed that Chandigarh would be transferred to Punjab.
• A commission was sought to be constituted, which would then determine what Hindi-speaking territories would be transferred from Punjab to Haryana.
• An independent tribunal was to be set up which would adjudicate the river water dispute. 
• Elections for the state assembly as well as the national parliament were to be held in September 1985. 
• It stated that merit would remain the sole criterion for enlistment in the Indian army, and except for the Sikh regiments, it would be open for all sections of the society. 
• Compensation was sought to be provided to the families of the innocent persons killed in agitation or any related action after 1st August 1982.
• Jurisdiction of the Rangnath Mishra Commission enquiring into the 1984 Delhi riots was extended to Bokaro and Kanpur. 
• The part of the Anandpur Sahib Resolution dealing with the Centre and State relations will be referred to the Sarkaria Commission. 
• The Central Government was to take steps to promote the Punjabi language. 
• An All-India Gurdwara Act was sought for structured governance of the Sikh shrines in India.

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Concluding Remarks

Operation Blue Star was aimed at neutralizing militant Sikh preacher Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale and his band of armed supporters ensconced in the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar. The Indian Army was even successful in doing so in a matter of days. Still, the operation carried great ramifications as it led to the assassination of the Prime Minister of India and widespread riots in 1984. The Sikh community worldwide grew critical of Operation Blue Star, and it further gave rise to Sikh militancy in the name of the terrorist Khalistan movement. 

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UPSC Previous Year Questions

Q1. Religious indoctrination via digital media has resulted in Indian youth joining ISIS. What are ISIS and its mission? How can ISIS be dangerous to the internal security of our country? (UPSC CSE Mains 2015)

Q2. The scourge of terrorism is a grave challenge to national security. What solutions do you suggest to curb this growing menace? What are the major sources of terrorist funding? UPSC CSE Mains 2017)

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