Jang Hind Panjab Da - 1984, Amritsar

Events leading to the attack, and myths debunked.

British Raaj

1849, the Sikh Empire fell to the British due to snakes.

2 Anglo-Sikh wars, both lost due to betrayal.

Britain eventually leaves, leaving chaos behind.

1947 - India gains independence 

Despite being 2% of the pop. 80% of the sacrifices came from Punjab - 

[NOTE: Out of 2,175 who died, 1,557 (or 75 per cent) were Sikhs. Out of 2,646 sentenced to life imprisonment in the Andaman Islands, 2,147 (80 per cent) were Sikhs. Out of 127 men sent to the gallows, 92 or 80 per cent were Sikhs. In Subhas Chander Bose’s Indian National Army 60 per cent of the soldiers were Sikhs]. - Politics of Genocide, Inderjit Singh Jaijee

40% of Sikh left homeless

2.5% of the Sikh pop. was massacred

A Panjabi Suba was crucial for the Sikh identity.

Gandhi and Nehru promised a Sikh State

>they see Sikhs as a Hindu Sect (Constitution)

>"The Sikhs have missed the bus" - Nehru

Panjab was split - 14 Million displaced, 1 Million dead

A free Panjab would've been Strategically dangerous - India would have lost the passage to Kashmir

Government had to keep the Sikh character of Panjab weak and diluted - they had seen what Sikhs were like during Independence.

Constitution

Sikhs are classed as Hindus

> attempt to absorb Sikhs

>Reservation only made available for Dalits - a way to get Dalit Sikhs to leave Sikhi

Panjabi is not Panjabs first language

>Linguistic states formed - Panjab split into Haryana and Himachal Pradesh

Anandpur Resolution and Resistance

Sikhs suffered heavy losses during 1947

Two Indo-Pak wars (1962 and 1971) – Villages in the front line, Sikhs fighting

1973 – Anandpur Sahib Resolution drawn up 

Emergency – 1975 to 1977. Punjab continued to oppose the Government.

Indira was going to get done for Election Fraud so she imposed the Emergency

50000 Sikhs arrested for the ‘Save Democracy Movement’ 

Asian Games – 1982. Sikhs banned from attending. A curfew imposed against Sikhs due to fears of protests.

The Sikh generals that served during the Indo-Pak wars WERE BANNED FROM ATTENDING!

Anandpur Resolution - available to read online

Basically, a request to have a separate identity, economic/religious freedom, water and land rights – Just basic human needs. Asked for rights of all states and people in India - Met with hostility.

1971 - 250,000 + Sikhs protest, propaganda labels them all as extremists.

Nirankari Killing – 13 Sikhs killed whilst police watched. Police brutality increases

https://thesikhway.com/projects/blue-star-over-amritsar-june-1984-mobile-exhibition

Myths -

>The attack was about freeing Harmandir Sahib

LIE - 75 Gurdwaras across Punjab were also attacked

Sikhs going to help from villages were shot by helicopters.

WHY - Political Movement – we were a threat.

Prominent Sikh Politicians, leaders were at those Gurdwareh. - Essentially tried to wipe out any powerful Sikh that could lead the Quam.

>Terrorist occupation meant Army was needed

LIE - Sant Ji was invited into Darbar Sahib

As a Jathedar, they have the full right to be there

The other heads of the Anandpur Resolution were also there. Sant Ji was there to make communications easier.

>A sikh country was about to be declared

LIE - A protest was planned - Rasta Roko Rail Roko Kam Roko as a way to get the Government to listen to the request of the Sikh. If the grain provider of India stopped providing the Government would be forced to comply with the demands of the people.

Sant Ji, many times said that they’ll happily live in India, but the State doesn’t want us

>It was last minute and unplanned 

LIE - Planned in advance. Even got a replica Darbar Sahib made in 1982 (Chakrata, UP) The Thatcher Government aided Indira and training was provided by Israel to special commandos.

The Darbar Sahib attack was already ‘known’ to us.

Finding willing soldiers was hard, and a gathering was held where all serving and ex Sikh soldiers were called to Darbar Sahib – they had said an attack was being planned. Indian Generals refuse to comply. J S JAMWAL refuses to 'butcher his own people'.

The attack was initially planned for Jan 15th -

"The army went into Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) not to eliminate a political figure or a political movement but to suppress the culture of a people, to attack their heart, to strike a blow at their spirit and self-confidence."

- Joyce Pettigrew

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Sources

Anandpur Resolution

Idea of a Sikh State - Gurbachan Singh & Lal Singh

'Politics of Genocide' - Inderjit Singh Jaijee

Blue star over Amritsar - The Sikh Way

1984 Lecture - Naujawani, The Sikh Way

1984 Myths and Facts - Basics of Sikhi

Sikh24, Sikh Siyasat, IndiaToday.