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| Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindrenwale was a (and to some extent still is ) Sikh hero of modern times. He was born in the family of Baba Joginder Singh and Mata Nihal Kaur of the village Rode in Faridkot District. Baba Joginder Singh was a farmer of moderate means. Bhindrenwale was youngest of the seven brothers. After primary education took up farming in his village. He engaged himself in farming until 1965 when he joined the Damdami Taksal of Bhinder Kalan village, about 15 km north of Moga, then headed by Sant Gurbachan Singh Khalsa. Hence the epithet Bhindrenwale. But his association with Bhinder village was only notional because Sant Gurbachan Singh, though associated with Gurdwara Akhand Prakash at Bhinder Kalan, usually took out his group of pupils on prolonged tours. Jarnail Singh underwent a one-year course in scriptural, theological and historical studies, at the hands of Sant Gurbachan Singh Khalsa partly during one of his tours but for the most part during his stay at Gurdwara Sis Asthan Patshahi IX, near Nabha Sahib village, 15 km south of Chandigarh along the Chandigarh-Patiala road. In 1966, he rejoined his Family and settled down to farming again. He was married in 1966 to Bibi Pritam Kaur, daughter of Bhai Sucha Singh of Bilaspur, and had two sons, Ishar Singh and Inderjit Singh, born in 1971 and 1975 respectively. He continued his religious studies and also kept his close association with the Taksal, which after the death of Sant Gurbachan Singh Khalsa, in June 1969, was headed by Sant Kartar Singh Khalsa, who established his headquarters at Gurdwara Gurdarshan Prakash at Mehta Chowk, 25 km northeast of Amritsar along the road to Sri Hargobindpur. Sant Kartar Singh khalsa was killed in a road accident. Before his deadh on 16 August 1977, he had mentioned the name of Sant Jarnail Singh as his successor as the new head of Damdami Taksal. Sant Jarnail Singh was formally, elected at the bhog ceremony in honour of Sant Kartar Singh Khalsa at Mehta Chowk on 25 August 1977. | |||
| | name = Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale | |||
| | image = | |||
| | image_size = | |||
| | birth_date = {{birth date|1947|02|12}} | |||
| | birth_place = Rode, ], ], ] | |||
| | death_date = {{death date and age|1984|06|06|1947|02|12}} | |||
| | death_place = ], ], ], ] | |||
| | occupation = Leader of ] | |||
| | spouse = Bibi Pritam Kaur | |||
| | parents = | |||
| | children =Ishar Singh and Inderjit Singh<ref name="SH">{{cite web|title= Saint Jarnail Singh Bhindrenwale (1947 - 1984)|publisher=Sikh-history.com|last= Singh|first=Sandeep|date=|url=http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/personalities/bhindrenwale.html|accessdate=2007-03-18}}</ref> | |||
| }} | |||
| ''' Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale''' or ''' Jarnail Singh''' ({{lang-pa|ਜਰਨੈਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਭਿੰਡਰਾਂਵਾਲੇ}}; ], ]–], ]) was the leader of the ], a ] religious group based in ].<ref name="TST">{{cite web|title= | |||
| Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale: Five Myths |publisher=''The Sikh Times''|last= Lamba|first=Puneet Singh|date=2004-06-06|url=http://www.sikhtimes.com/bios_060604a.html|accessdate=2007-06-25}}</ref> Bhindranwale carried heavy influence among many Sikh fundamentalists in ]. He tried to spread his version of the original values of ] and persuaded young people to follow the original rules and tenets of the religion. He was known for his support for the creation of the proposed ]-based ] state of ].<ref>{{cite book | last=Joshi | first=Chand | title=Bhindranwale: Myth and Reality| publisher=Vikas Publishing House | location=New Delhi | year = 1985|isbn=0706926943 | pages=p129 }}</ref> In 1981, Bhidranwale was arrested for his suspected involvement in the murder of ], the proprietor of the Hind Samachar Group. Although he willingly surrendered to police and later released due to lack of evidence, Bhindranwale was kept on close watch by Indian police officials. Bhindranwale is more notable for his involvement in ] in which he and other ]s occupied the ] complex, including the ], in ].<ref>{{cite news|title= Flashbacks: Golden Temple attack|publisher=]|last= Kaur|first=Naunidhi|date=2004-06-03|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3774651.stm|accessdate=2007-03-28}}</ref> He was killed by the ], who had orders from ]n ] ] to kill separatist ] militants inside the sacred temple. Since his death, Bhindranwale has remained a controversial figure in ]n history. Some view him as a ] who was fighting for the best interests of ], and others see him as a ] and an ].<ref name="TST"/> | |||
| ==Early life== | |||
| He had a meteoric rise to fame and his photographs began to be avidly displayed on the front pages of newspapers and journals across the continents. Trained in a Sikh seminary to preach the holy word of the Gurus, he stood face to face with history at several critical moments. Bhindrenwale within his seven brief years of a total of 37, marked by a precipitous course, emerged as a man of extraordinary grit and charisma. Soon he came to be talked about in the far-flung academe as well as in political forums. | |||
| Bhindranwale was born in the village of Rode, in the ] of ]. His father, Joginder Singh, was a farmer and a local Sikh leader.<ref name="SH"/> Jarnail Singh was the seventh of eight brothers. He was brought up as a strict vegetarian.<ref name="IT">{{cite news|title= An India Today-100 People Who Shaped India|publisher='']''|last=Singh|first=Tavleen|date=2002-01-14|url=http://www.india-today.com/itoday/millennium/100people/jarnail.html|accessdate=2006-10-28}}</ref> Bhindranwale took up ] until ], when he joined the ], a traveling Sikh university, near ], then headed by Gurbachan Singh Khalsa.<ref name="SH"/> Under the guidance of Gurbachan Singh Khalsa, Bhindranwale began a yearlong course in scriptural, theological and historical Sikh studies. A year later, Bhindranwale went back to his village and settled back to farming. He married Bibi Pritam Kaur, daughter of Bhai Sucha Singh of ].<ref name="SH"/> His wife bore him two sons, Ishar and Inderjit Singh, in 1971 and 1975, respectively.<ref name="SH"/> | |||
| ==Rise to popularity== | |||
| Sant Jarnail Singh exhibited remarkable enthusiasm in carrying out his missionary responsibilities. The primary task he addressed was the administrating of amrit (Khanda Baate da Pahul) . He vehemintly denounced drugs, alcoholic drinks and trimming of hair. He took special notice of the Nirankari heresy Which was undermining the Sikh Structure. Opposition to the Nirankaris had started during the time of his predecessor, Sant Kartar Singh Khalsa. Matters camee to a head on the Baisdkhi day of 1978 when Nirankaris held a convention at Amritsar. The Damdami Taksal under Sant Jarnal Singh Bhindrenwale and the Akhand Kirtani Jatha, another purely religious organization, protested against government allowing the Nirankaris to hold their convention at a time the Sikhs were celebrating the birth anniverssary of the Khalsa. Some of them who marched to the site of the convention were fired upon by Nirankari guardsmen killing 13 of them on the spot and wounding 78 others. The episode brought Sant Bhindrenwale into the political arena. He was more against the Akali Dal which was then leading the government in the Punjab and was partner in the central authority in Delhi. On 4 january 1980, two days before the Lok Sabha poll, all the 64 Nirankari accused, including their chief Gurbachan Singh, being tried for the killing of Sikhs, were set at liberty, by the sessions judge of Karnal in Haryana. This bittered Sant Bhindranwale. The media in the Punjab took the part of the Nirankaris on the pica of' secularism. So did the Congress party which, on returning to power at the Centre, dismissed the Akali government in the Punjab, where too fresh elections were held and Congress government installed. On 9 September 1981, Lala Jagat Narain, a press baron of jalandhar, highly critical of Sant Bhindrenwale, was assassinated. The Sant too had been a strong critic of Jagat Narain. The government suspected the Sant's hand in the murder and issued warrants for his arrest. He was then on a preaching tour in Haryana and was camping at Chando Kalan village in Hissar district when a combined force of Punjab and Haryana police raided the village to nab him. He himself escaped to the security of his own headquarters at Mehta Chowk, but the police fired upon his jathd or band of disciples; their baggage was looted, and some of the sacred texts burnt. | |||
| In Punjab, Bhindranwale went from village to village as a religious ] talking with Sikh people. He asked ]s to live according to the rules and tenets of ]. He would give long speeches and encourage numerous youths to take ], the holy nectar. Bhindranwale preached to young Sikh men who had lost their path, encouraging them to return to his path of ] by giving up vices like women, drugs, addictions, etc. His focus on fighting for some cause made him a hero in the eyes of young Sikhs. The successor to Gurbachan Singh Khalsa, Kartar Singh Khalsa, who died in a road accident on ], ], mentioned Bhidranwale as being the new leader of the ].<ref name="SH"/> Bhidranwale was formally elected at a ] ceremony at Mehta Chowk on ], ].<ref name="SH"/> | |||
| ==Politics and movement for Khalistan== | |||
| The Sant offered himself for arrest on 20 September 1981. This was followed by, a spate of violence. The Sant was released after the Central Home Minister, Giani Zail Singh, declared in the Parliament on 14 October 1981 that there was no evidence against him to show his hand in Jagat Narain's murder. The Sant had seen through the Congress conspiracy loaded against the Sikhs. His arrest and Subsequent release raised the Sant's stature among the Sikh community who, especially the youth, judging hitu against the moderate Akali leadership, flocked under his banner in ever increasing numbers. The Sant became increasingly outspoken. The governnient took notice of the change in Bhindrenwale's stance and proceeded to take action against him. An attempt Was made to arrest him while he was on a visit to Bombay was staying in the Singh Sabha Gurdwara at Dadar on 20 April 1982, but Sant Bhindrenwale was again able to reach safely in the Gurdwara at Mehta Chowk. On 19 July 1982 the police arrested Bhai Amrik Singh son of the late Sant Kartar Singh Khalsa and president of the All India Sikh Students Federation. Another senior member of thc Damdami Taksal, Bhai Thind Singh, was arrested on the following day. Sant Bhindrenwale felt highly provoked. Feeling that sanctuary at Mehta Chowk was not safe enough, he moved to the Guru Nanak Nivas rest house in the Darbar Sahib complex in Amritsar on 20 july and called for a Panthic convention on 25 july at which he announced thc launching of a morcha (campaign) For thc release of his men. Meanwhile., the Shiromai Akali Dal had been conducting a morcha since April 1982 against the digging of Satluj-Yamuna Link (S.Y.L.) canal which would divert part of Punjab's river waters to Haryana. The agitation inspite of immense support from the Sikh peasantry was not bearing any tangible fruit because the site (Kapori village on the Haryana-Punjab border where the Indian Prime minister had inaugurated the digging of the canal on 6 April 1982 was in a remote corner away from the Dal's headquarters. The Dal now decided to transfer the agitation, now designated Dharam Yuddh or religious war, to Amritsar from 4 August 1982. Sant jarnail Singh merged his own morcha with it, and thus became in a way the joint dictator of the entire Panth though he still swore loyalty to the former dictator of the Akali morcha, Sant Harchand Singh Longowal. | |||
| In response to questions about his political ambitions Bhindranwale once said: {{cquote|If I ever become ] of the ] or the S.G.P.C. , an ], a government minister, or a member of parliament...I shall deserve a shoe-beating by you.<ref>{{cite book | last=Sandhu | first=Ranbir Singh | title=Struggle for Justice: Speeches and Conversations of Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale| publisher=Sikh Educational & Religious Foundation | location=Dublin, Ohio | year = 1999|isbn=0967287405 | pages=p285 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last=Tully | first=Mark |authorlinks=]| coauthors=Satish Jacob|title=Amritsar: Mrs Gandhi's Last Battle| publisher=Rupa & Co. | location=New Delhi | year = 1985|isbn=0224023284 | pages=p113}}</ref>}} Despite these statements, Bhindranwale participated in some behind-the-scene political work. In ], Bhindranwale put up forty candidates in the SGPC elections for a total of 140 seats, all but four were defeated.<ref>{{cite book | last=Singh |first=Khuswant | year=2005 | month= | title=A History of the Sikhs: Volume II: 1839-2004 | publisher=] | location=] | isbn=0195673093 | pages=p332 }}</ref> A year later, Bhindranwale campaigned actively for Congress in three constituencies' during the general elections.<ref>Tully (1985), p177.</ref> Due to his lack of success in election politics, Bhindranwale did not personally seek any political offices. As stated in a ] '']'' article, Bhindranwale had become so popular that he had usurped the authority of the ], a ]-based ] ].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Lopez |first=Laura |year=1984 |month=June |title=India, Diamonds and the Smell of Death |journal='']''|volume= |issue=], ] }}</ref> Bhindranwale wielded a great deal of power and the political factions in Punjab did not make commit any major action without thinking about Bhindranwale's response.<ref>{{cite book | last=Robin |first=Jeffrey| year=1994 | month= |edition=2| title=What's Happening to India? | publisher=Holmes & Meier Publishing| location=New York | isbn=0841913501 | pages=p146-147 }}</ref> | |||
| Bhindranwale was widely perceived to be a supporter for the creation of a proposed Sikhism-based ] state of ]. However, in a ] interview, he stated that if the government agreed to the creation of such a state, he would not refuse reflecting deliberate ambiguity. Other quotes attributed to Bhindranwale include "we are not in favour of Khalistan nor are we against it." Responding to the formation of Khalistan he is quoted as saying, "We won't reject it. We shall not repeat 1947."<ref>Sandhu (1999), pLVI.</ref> To which he added, "if the Indian Government invaded the Darbar Sahib complex, the foundation for an independent Sikh state will have been laid."<ref>Sandhu (1999), pLVII.</ref> | |||
| A further provocation to the Sikhs came from the behaviour of the Haryana government and police during the Asian Games held at Delhi in November 1982. Sikhs travelling from Punjab to Delhi or back were indiscriminately stopped, searched and humiliated. Violence in the Punjab was on the increase. It was becoming more and more clear that the government would seek a military Solution of the situation in Punjab rather than a political one. Sant Bhindranwale exhorted the people to be prepared for a showdown. On 15 December 1983, he with his men entered the Akal Takht and With the help of a former major general of the Indian Army, Shahbeg Singh, prepared a network of defensive fortifications inside the complex collecting in the meanwhile a large stock of arms, ammunition and rations anticipating the possibility of a prolonged siege. The government on its part made elaborate plans for all army action while pretending all along its readiness for negotiations and denying any intention of sending armed forces inside the Darbar Sahib complex. The Punjab was placed Under the President's rule on 6 October 1983. A ordinance declaring parts of the state a disturbed area was promulgated, and the police was given power to search, arrest or even shoot whom they will with immunity from legal action. Six additional divisions of the army including especially trained para commandos were inducted into Punjab by the end of May 1984. On 1 June, while the Sikhs had started preparations in the Golden Temple for the observation of the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan, which fell on the 3rd of June, strict curfew was clamped on Amritsar and surrounding districts. The actual assault of the army's operation nicknamed Blue Star took place on the night of 5-6 June 1984. A pitched battle ensued in which the army also used tanks and artillery. On the 7 Of June the dead body of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was located in the basement of the Akal Takht. | |||
| ==Role in the militancy== | |||
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||
| On ], ], a few GurSikhs of Akhand Kirtani Jatha went to protest against Nirankaris. The confrontation led to the murder of thirteen members of the ] and three Nirankaris. The ] named twenty-two persons, several of whom were known associates of Bhindranwale.The victims were implicated. This infuriated Sikhs further. On ], ], the leader of ]s, ], was killed. The ] named nearly twenty people involved in the murder, most of whom had ties to Bhindranwale.<ref>{{cite web|title= Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale - Life, Mission, and Martyrdom|publisher=Sikh Educational and Religious Foundation|last=Sandhu|first=Ranbir S.| | |||
| date=1997-05|url=www.sikhcoalition.org/SantJarnailSingh.pdf|accessdate=2007-06-25}}</ref> Bhindranwale was subsequently implicated in ordering the assassination. A member of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha, Ranjit Singh, surrendered to committing the assassination three years later, and was sentenced to serve thirteen years at the ]. Bhidranwale was later released as he could not be charged by Indian courts due to lack of evidence. | |||
| On ], ], ], the proprietor of the Hind Samachar Group, was shot dead near the Amaltas Motel.<ref name="IT"/> Lala Jagat Narain was a prominent opponent of Bhindranwale. Two days after the assassination, police issued warrants for the arrest of Bhidranwale. A police search in Chando Kalan, a ] village, failed to produce an arrest. Upon seeing this, Bhidranwale publicly announced that he would surrender on September 20.<ref> | |||
| BIBLIOGRAPHY | |||
| {{cite web|title= Tributes to a peacemaker|publisher='']''|last=Chowla|first=K.S.| | |||
| date=2003-10-18|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20041018/ldh1.htm|accessdate=2007-06-25}}</ref> | |||
| On ], ], Bhindranwale was arrested on charges of orchestrating Lala Jagat Narain's murder. Over the next twenty-five days while Bhindranwale was held in custody, sporadic fights erupted in areas where Bhindranwale's accomplices had gathered. Bhindranwale was released on bail on October 15 as India's Home Minister, ] announced in the ] that there was no evidence against Bhindrawale.<ref>Tully (1985), p69.</ref> In a public statement issued soon after, Bhindranwale expressed his approval for Lala Jagat Narain's murder. Nonetheless, staff of Narain's newspaper, the ''Punjab Kesri'', and its distributors were targeted for some months and 62 people linked to the paper were murdered. | |||
| Copyright © Harbans Singh "The encyclopedia of Sikhism." | |||
| Copyright © Sandeep Singh | |||
| ==Death== | |||
| On ], ] Indian Prime Minister ] initiated ] and ordered the ] to surround the Golden Temple complex to kill the militants in the complex. It was widely reported that Bhindranwale did not survive the operation and is thus regarded as a "martyr" by Sikhs. | |||
| According to ] Kuldip Singh Brar, who commanded the operation, the body of Bhindranwale was identified by a number of agencies, including the police, the Intelligence Bureau and Sikh fighters in the Army's custody.<ref>{{cite book | last=Brar |first=K. S.| year=1993 | month=| title=Operation Blue Star: The True Story | publisher=UBS Publishers| location=New Delhi | isbn=8185944296 | pages=p114 }}</ref> Bhindranwale's brother is also reported to have identified Bhindranwale's body.<ref>{{cite book | last=Akbar |first=M. J.| year=1996 | month=| title=India: The Siege Within: Challenges to a Nation's Unity | publisher=UBS Publishers| location=New Delhi | isbn=8174760768 | pages=p196 }}</ref> Pictures of what appear to be Bhindranwale's body have been published in at least two widely circulated books, ''Tragedy of Punjab: Operation Bluestar and After'' and ''Amritsar: Mrs Gandhi's Last Battle''. ] correspondent ] also reported seeing Bhindranwale's body during his funeral. | |||
| People who maintain that he survived the operation include Dilbir Singh, the Public Relations Advisor at ].<ref name="FL">{{cite web|title= The enigma of Bhindranwale|publisher=''Frontline''|last=Kaur |first=Naunidhi |date=2001-06-23|url=http://www.flonnet.com/fl1813/18130360.htm|accessdate=2007-03-17}}</ref> He stated that Bhindranwale was injured on the right side of his temple. He stated, "a government doctor verified he was captured alive. He was tortured to death."<ref>{{cite book | last=Pettigrew |first=Joyce| year=1995 | month=| title=The Sikhs of the Punjab: Unheard Voices of State and Guerrilla Violence | publisher=Zed Books| location=London | isbn=1856493555 | pages=p34-35 }}</ref><ref>Pettigrew (1995), p51.</ref> R.K. Bajaj, a correspondent for Surya magazine, claimed to have seen a photograph of Bhindranwale in custody.<ref>{{cite book | last=Jaijee |first=Inderjit Singh| year=1999 | month=| title=Politics of Genocide: Punjab (1984-1998) | publisher=Ajanta Publications| location=New Delhi | isbn=8120204158 | pages=p59 }}</ref> This claim is strongly contested, especially by Bhindranwale's son who has now become a prominent figure within Sikh politics. Some within the Damdami Taksal claimed he is still alive.<ref name="FL"/><ref name="TST"/> However, Jarnail Singh was pronounced a ] by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee at a function in ].<ref>{{cite news|title=Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale: Unclear Legacy |publisher='']'' |date=2003-06-09|url=http://www.sikhtimes.com/bios_060903b.html|accessdate=2007-03-27}}</ref> | |||
| ==Legacy== | |||
| Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was praised by many ]s as a matyr of common time,<ref name="SS">{{cite web|title= Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale |publisher=Shaheedi Immorality|date=|url=http://saintsoldiers.net/ss/?p=jar|accessdate=2007-03-27}}</ref> but to other Sikhs he was considered a ].<ref name="SH"> | |||
| {{cite web|title= From Bhindranwale to Bin Laden: The Rise of Religious Violence|publisher=]|last=Juergensmeyer|first=Mark|date=2004|url=http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1024&context=gis |accessdate=2007-03-28}}</ref><ref name="TST"/> Bhindranwale is hailed by some for his efforts to preach the philosophy of the ] to the ].<ref name="SS"/> Famed ]n ] ] stated that "<nowiki>]<nowiki>]</nowiki> gave the movement for ] its first martyr in Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale."<ref>Singh (1999), p378.</ref> In ], at a function arranged by the ], Joginder Singh Vedanti, the present ''jathedar'' of the ] made a formal declaration that Bhindranwale was a "martyr" and awarded his son, Ishar Singh, a robe of honor.<ref>{{cite news|title=Takht accepts Bhindranwale’s death |publisher='']''|date=2003-06-06|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030607/main3.htm|accessdate=2007-06-25}}</ref> Harbans Singh's ''The Encyclopedia of Sikhism'' describes Bhindranwale as "a phenomenal figure of modern ]."<ref>{{cite book | editor=Singh, Harbans | year=1996 | month= | title=The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism | publisher=] | location=] | isbn=817380530X | pages=Vol. 2, p352 }}</ref> | |||
| ], one of ]'s leading political commentators said, " remains a ] in the eyes of many Sikhs. Even today, rare is the Sikh ] who will dare to call him what he was: a ] and a ]."<ref>Sandhu (1999), pXL.</ref> Others feel Bhidranwale wanted to rise to fame and create the theocratic nation of ]. Some feel that Bhindranwale was responsible for the instigation of Operation Blue Star after he took refuge in the ] in ].<ref>{{cite book | last=Marty | first=Martin E. | year=1995 | month= | title=The Fundamentalism Project | publisher=] | location=Chicago | isbn=0-226-50878-1 | pages=p596-597 }}</ref> | |||
| == References == | |||
| {{reflist|2}} | |||
| == External links == | |||
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| {{DEFAULTSORT:Bhindranwale, Jarnail Singh}} | |||
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Revision as of 17:51, 4 September 2007
| Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1947-02-12)February 12, 1947 Rode, Faridkot, Punjab, India |
| Died | June 6, 1984(1984-06-06) (aged 37) Akal Takth Complex, Amritsar, Punjab, India |
| Occupation | Leader of Damdami Taksal |
| Spouse | Bibi Pritam Kaur |
| Children | Ishar Singh and Inderjit Singh |
Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale or Jarnail Singh (Template:Lang-pa; February 12, 1947–June 6, 1984) was the leader of the Damdami Taksal, a Sikh religious group based in India. Bhindranwale carried heavy influence among many Sikh fundamentalists in Punjab. He tried to spread his version of the original values of Sikhism and persuaded young people to follow the original rules and tenets of the religion. He was known for his support for the creation of the proposed Sikhism-based theocratic state of Khalistan. In 1981, Bhidranwale was arrested for his suspected involvement in the murder of Jagat Narain, the proprietor of the Hind Samachar Group. Although he willingly surrendered to police and later released due to lack of evidence, Bhindranwale was kept on close watch by Indian police officials. Bhindranwale is more notable for his involvement in Operation Blue Star in which he and other militants occupied the Akal Takht complex, including the Golden Temple, in Amritsar. He was killed by the Indian Army, who had orders from Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to kill separatist Sikh militants inside the sacred temple. Since his death, Bhindranwale has remained a controversial figure in Indian history. Some view him as a martyr who was fighting for the best interests of Sikhs, and others see him as a terrorist and an extremist.
Early life
Bhindranwale was born in the village of Rode, in the Faridkot District of Punjab, India. His father, Joginder Singh, was a farmer and a local Sikh leader. Jarnail Singh was the seventh of eight brothers. He was brought up as a strict vegetarian. Bhindranwale took up farming until 1965, when he joined the Damdami Taksal, a traveling Sikh university, near Moga, Punjab, then headed by Gurbachan Singh Khalsa. Under the guidance of Gurbachan Singh Khalsa, Bhindranwale began a yearlong course in scriptural, theological and historical Sikh studies. A year later, Bhindranwale went back to his village and settled back to farming. He married Bibi Pritam Kaur, daughter of Bhai Sucha Singh of Bilaspur. His wife bore him two sons, Ishar and Inderjit Singh, in 1971 and 1975, respectively.
Rise to popularity
In Punjab, Bhindranwale went from village to village as a religious missionary talking with Sikh people. He asked Sikhs to live according to the rules and tenets of Sikhism. He would give long speeches and encourage numerous youths to take Amrit, the holy nectar. Bhindranwale preached to young Sikh men who had lost their path, encouraging them to return to his path of Khalsa by giving up vices like women, drugs, addictions, etc. His focus on fighting for some cause made him a hero in the eyes of young Sikhs. The successor to Gurbachan Singh Khalsa, Kartar Singh Khalsa, who died in a road accident on August 16, 1977, mentioned Bhidranwale as being the new leader of the Damdami Taksal. Bhidranwale was formally elected at a bhog ceremony at Mehta Chowk on August 25, 1977.
Politics and movement for Khalistan
In response to questions about his political ambitions Bhindranwale once said:
If I ever become president of the Akali Dal or the S.G.P.C. , an M.L.A., a government minister, or a member of parliament...I shall deserve a shoe-beating by you.
Despite these statements, Bhindranwale participated in some behind-the-scene political work. In 1979, Bhindranwale put up forty candidates in the SGPC elections for a total of 140 seats, all but four were defeated. A year later, Bhindranwale campaigned actively for Congress in three constituencies' during the general elections. Due to his lack of success in election politics, Bhindranwale did not personally seek any political offices. As stated in a 1984 Time Magazine article, Bhindranwale had become so popular that he had usurped the authority of the Shiromani Akali Dal, a Punjab-based Sikh political party. Bhindranwale wielded a great deal of power and the political factions in Punjab did not make commit any major action without thinking about Bhindranwale's response.
Bhindranwale was widely perceived to be a supporter for the creation of a proposed Sikhism-based theocratic state of Khalistan. However, in a BBC interview, he stated that if the government agreed to the creation of such a state, he would not refuse reflecting deliberate ambiguity. Other quotes attributed to Bhindranwale include "we are not in favour of Khalistan nor are we against it." Responding to the formation of Khalistan he is quoted as saying, "We won't reject it. We shall not repeat 1947." To which he added, "if the Indian Government invaded the Darbar Sahib complex, the foundation for an independent Sikh state will have been laid."
Role in the militancy
On April 13, 1978, a few GurSikhs of Akhand Kirtani Jatha went to protest against Nirankaris. The confrontation led to the murder of thirteen members of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha and three Nirankaris. The FIR named twenty-two persons, several of whom were known associates of Bhindranwale.The victims were implicated. This infuriated Sikhs further. On April 24, 1980, the leader of Nirankaris, Gurbachan Singh, was killed. The FIR named nearly twenty people involved in the murder, most of whom had ties to Bhindranwale. Bhindranwale was subsequently implicated in ordering the assassination. A member of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha, Ranjit Singh, surrendered to committing the assassination three years later, and was sentenced to serve thirteen years at the Tihar Jail. Bhidranwale was later released as he could not be charged by Indian courts due to lack of evidence.
On September 9, 1981, Jagat Narain, the proprietor of the Hind Samachar Group, was shot dead near the Amaltas Motel. Lala Jagat Narain was a prominent opponent of Bhindranwale. Two days after the assassination, police issued warrants for the arrest of Bhidranwale. A police search in Chando Kalan, a Haryana village, failed to produce an arrest. Upon seeing this, Bhidranwale publicly announced that he would surrender on September 20.
On September 20, 1981, Bhindranwale was arrested on charges of orchestrating Lala Jagat Narain's murder. Over the next twenty-five days while Bhindranwale was held in custody, sporadic fights erupted in areas where Bhindranwale's accomplices had gathered. Bhindranwale was released on bail on October 15 as India's Home Minister, Giani Zail Singh announced in the Parliament that there was no evidence against Bhindrawale. In a public statement issued soon after, Bhindranwale expressed his approval for Lala Jagat Narain's murder. Nonetheless, staff of Narain's newspaper, the Punjab Kesri, and its distributors were targeted for some months and 62 people linked to the paper were murdered.
Death
On June 3, 1984 Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi initiated Operation Blue Star and ordered the Indian Army to surround the Golden Temple complex to kill the militants in the complex. It was widely reported that Bhindranwale did not survive the operation and is thus regarded as a "martyr" by Sikhs.
According to Lieutenant General Kuldip Singh Brar, who commanded the operation, the body of Bhindranwale was identified by a number of agencies, including the police, the Intelligence Bureau and Sikh fighters in the Army's custody. Bhindranwale's brother is also reported to have identified Bhindranwale's body. Pictures of what appear to be Bhindranwale's body have been published in at least two widely circulated books, Tragedy of Punjab: Operation Bluestar and After and Amritsar: Mrs Gandhi's Last Battle. BBC correspondent Mark Tully also reported seeing Bhindranwale's body during his funeral.
People who maintain that he survived the operation include Dilbir Singh, the Public Relations Advisor at Guru Nanak Dev University. He stated that Bhindranwale was injured on the right side of his temple. He stated, "a government doctor verified he was captured alive. He was tortured to death." R.K. Bajaj, a correspondent for Surya magazine, claimed to have seen a photograph of Bhindranwale in custody. This claim is strongly contested, especially by Bhindranwale's son who has now become a prominent figure within Sikh politics. Some within the Damdami Taksal claimed he is still alive. However, Jarnail Singh was pronounced a martyr by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee at a function in 2003.
Legacy
Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was praised by many Sikhs as a matyr of common time, but to other Sikhs he was considered a terrorist. Bhindranwale is hailed by some for his efforts to preach the philosophy of the Guru Granth Sahib to the Sikh people. Famed Indian novelist Khushwant Singh stated that " gave the movement for Khalistan its first martyr in Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale." In 2003, at a function arranged by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, Joginder Singh Vedanti, the present jathedar of the Akal Takht made a formal declaration that Bhindranwale was a "martyr" and awarded his son, Ishar Singh, a robe of honor. Harbans Singh's The Encyclopedia of Sikhism describes Bhindranwale as "a phenomenal figure of modern Sikhism."
Vir Sanghvi, one of India's leading political commentators said, " remains a martyr in the eyes of many Sikhs. Even today, rare is the Sikh politician who will dare to call him what he was: a fanatic and a murderer." Others feel Bhidranwale wanted to rise to fame and create the theocratic nation of Khalistan. Some feel that Bhindranwale was responsible for the instigation of Operation Blue Star after he took refuge in the Akal Takht in Amritsar.
References
- ^ Singh, Sandeep. "Saint Jarnail Singh Bhindrenwale (1947 - 1984)". Sikh-history.com. Retrieved 2007-03-18. Cite error: The named reference "SH" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Lamba, Puneet Singh (2004-06-06). "Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale: Five Myths". The Sikh Times. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - Joshi, Chand (1985). Bhindranwale: Myth and Reality. New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House. pp. p129. ISBN 0706926943.
{{cite book}}:|pages=has extra text (help) - Kaur, Naunidhi (2004-06-03). "Flashbacks: Golden Temple attack". BBC News. Retrieved 2007-03-28.
- ^ Singh, Tavleen (2002-01-14). "An India Today-100 People Who Shaped India". India Today. Retrieved 2006-10-28.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - Sandhu, Ranbir Singh (1999). Struggle for Justice: Speeches and Conversations of Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale. Dublin, Ohio: Sikh Educational & Religious Foundation. pp. p285. ISBN 0967287405.
{{cite book}}:|pages=has extra text (help) - Tully, Mark (1985). Amritsar: Mrs Gandhi's Last Battle. New Delhi: Rupa & Co. pp. p113. ISBN 0224023284.
{{cite book}}:|pages=has extra text (help); Unknown parameter|authorlinks=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Singh, Khuswant (2005). A History of the Sikhs: Volume II: 1839-2004. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. pp. p332. ISBN 0195673093.
{{cite book}}:|pages=has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=(help) - Tully (1985), p177.
- Lopez, Laura (1984). "India, Diamonds and the Smell of Death". Time (June 25, 1984).
{{cite journal}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|journal=(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Robin, Jeffrey (1994). What's Happening to India? (2 ed.). New York: Holmes & Meier Publishing. pp. p146-147. ISBN 0841913501.
{{cite book}}:|pages=has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=(help) - Sandhu (1999), pLVI.
- Sandhu (1999), pLVII.
- Sandhu, Ranbir S. (1997-05). (PDF). Sikh Educational and Religious Foundation. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help); Check date values in:|date=(help) -
Chowla, K.S. (2003-10-18). "Tributes to a peacemaker". The Tribune. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - Tully (1985), p69.
- Brar, K. S. (1993). Operation Blue Star: The True Story. New Delhi: UBS Publishers. pp. p114. ISBN 8185944296.
{{cite book}}:|pages=has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=(help) - Akbar, M. J. (1996). India: The Siege Within: Challenges to a Nation's Unity. New Delhi: UBS Publishers. pp. p196. ISBN 8174760768.
{{cite book}}:|pages=has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=(help) - ^ Kaur, Naunidhi (2001-06-23). "The enigma of Bhindranwale". Frontline. Retrieved 2007-03-17.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - Pettigrew, Joyce (1995). The Sikhs of the Punjab: Unheard Voices of State and Guerrilla Violence. London: Zed Books. pp. p34-35. ISBN 1856493555.
{{cite book}}:|pages=has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=(help) - Pettigrew (1995), p51.
- Jaijee, Inderjit Singh (1999). Politics of Genocide: Punjab (1984-1998). New Delhi: Ajanta Publications. pp. p59. ISBN 8120204158.
{{cite book}}:|pages=has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=(help) - "Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale: Unclear Legacy". The Indian Express. 2003-06-09. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale". Shaheedi Immorality. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
- Singh (1999), p378.
- "Takht accepts Bhindranwale's death". The Tribune. 2003-06-06. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - Singh, Harbans, ed. (1996). The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism. Patiala, India: Punjabi University. pp. Vol. 2, p352. ISBN 817380530X.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=(help) - Sandhu (1999), pXL.
- Marty, Martin E. (1995). The Fundamentalism Project. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. p596-597. ISBN 0-226-50878-1.
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External links
- Bhindranwale, Indira Gandhi, and the Sikh Struggles vs Indian Government. Website of the Sikh Coalition
- Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale: Five Myths
- "Oh, That Other Hindu Riot of Passage - an article by Khushwant Singh
- BBC Report
- Knights of Falsehood - by K.P.S. Gill, former D.G.P. Punjab
- From Bhindranwale to Bin Laden: The Rise of Religious Violence
