News Highlights
June 6 marks the 38th anniversary of Operation Bluestar.
Operation Bluestar
- It was a code name given to an Indian military operation on June 5, 1984, to remove separatists hidden inside the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
- The operation was ordered by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, with the goal of regaining control of Amritsar’s Harmandir Sahib Complex (popularly known as the Golden Temple).
- Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a Sikh hardline religious leader, and his armed followers were driven out of the temple by the Indian military.
- The operation was divided into two parts: Operation Metal, which involved an invasion of the temple complex, and Operation Shop, which was limited to the state’s countryside.
- This operation contributed to the defeat of Khalistani terrorism.
Background of Operation Bluestar
- Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale wanted the Indian government to pass the Anandpur Resolution, allowing the Sikhs to build their own state of Khalistan.
- Since 1982, this extreme Sikhism leader had amassed sufficient support for his cause, and by mid-1983, he had established a base inside the Golden Temple complex, complete with ammunition and his supporters.
- As a result, between June 1 and June 6, 1984, Operation Blue Star was initiated with the goal of removing Bhindranwale and his demands.
- Bhindranwale died as a result of the operation.
- Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards a few months after Operation Blue Star, resulting in major anti-Sikh riots in Delhi.
Effect
- Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards a few months after Operation Blue Star, resulting in major anti-Sikh riots in Delhi.
Content Source : The Hindu