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| 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
