Kanwal Jit Singh Gill

Indian ruling Governments, media and Hindutava forces have always justified the 1984 army attack on Darbar Sahib as an effort to get rid of terrorists led by Sant Bhindrawale and to protect India from Pakistan army attack to help those terrorists. Even many so-called secularists, educated and intelligent persons all believe in that information. And they don’t want to accept any other facts that point out that Indira Gandhi had pre planned this army attack because she was very upset with Sikhs for opposing her emergency rule in 1975-77. Another reason Indira Gandhi wanted to do something drastic was to win the next election, which was slated in 1984.  She knew that if she presented Sikhs as terrorists and separatists, used the army to attack Darbar Sahib and kill thousands of innocent Sikhs then she would win great support of Hindutava majority votes in the coming election.

One thing Indian public and media has always ignored is the comments of Lt. General Sinha about Indira Gandhi’s army attack plans. According to Sinha he was asked by Indira Gandhi to prepare for an army attack 18 months before June 1984 that means in late 1982. But Sinha didn’t like that idea and opposed that plan. If he had to Sinha suggested that the first army will surround Darbar Sahib, cut power, water, food etc. supplies, don’t let worshippers go in there and give chance to innocent worshippers already in there to come out so that there would be minimum loss of innocent lives. 

But Indira Gandhi didn’t like Sinha’s plans. She wanted the army action to kill large number of innocent worshippers in there. Then she decided to bypass senior Sinha and appointed junior Vaidya as army Chief because Vaidya agreed to follow her plans. All this is very important information but Indian ruling governments, media, public etc. have always ignored it. And always believed and supported Indira Gandhi led government’s plan to attack Darbar Sahib to get rid of terrorists led by Sant Bhindrawale and save India from Pakistan army attack.

Now my question is to all those who have believed Indira Gandhi action. Why they never want to ask these following questions about her plans and army attack.

1) Why Indira Gandhi started planning this army action in 1982? Were the terrorist activities and situation in Punjab was really that bad in 1982 that required army action?

2) If the situation in 1982 was really that bad then why Indira Government waited for 18 months till June 1984 ? Won’t that extra 18 months give chance to the terrorists to get more stronger and kill more innocents? Can anybody explain why Indira government waited till June 1984?

3) Were the so-called terrorists not really that bad and she wanted to use black cat terrorists to kill Hindu innocents to win public sympathy and support for army action?

4) Or Indira Gandhi wanted to wait till late 1984 to get closer to elections to make sure to get Hindutava majority support for her actions. And to get Hindutava majority votes in the 1984 elections?

5) Why Indira Gandhi rejected Lt. General Sinha’s suggestion that would have killed minimum number of innocents in the army action? Didn’t she as PM wanted to see that number of innocents killed should be as much minimum as possible?

6) Or Indira Gandhi wanted to kill large number of Innocent Sikhs to be called Durga Devi/Mata by Hindutava majority and win their support and votes in next elections ? And that is why Indira Gandhi selected Guru Arjun Devji’s Shaheedi Gurpurab day when thousands of innocent worshippers were in Darbar Sahib?

7) Before army action the government always said that there are about 250 terrorists in Darbar Sahib. Then why Indian army had to attack about 40 other Gurudawaras in Punjab?

All such questions are always ignored by Indian ruling Governments, media and public that would have blamed Indira Gandhi for unnecessary army action killing thousands of innocents. Over the years we have always seen that Indian ruling governments, justice system, media and public has always supported the ruling governments involved in killing innocents belonging to minorities minorities. That is why all these years we have never seen guilty involved in killing thousands of innocents belonging to minorities being punished by ruling governments and justice system. And even the Hindutava majority voters have always supported the guilty political parties and leaders involved in innocent killings of minorities. That is why Congress won the largest majority in the Parliament elections after Operation Blue Star and 1984 Sikh Genocide. And Modi led BJP has been winning elections since killing thousands of innocents in 2002. It is very shameful thing and we don’t know when the minorities in India will get justice?

Kanwal jit Singh Gill is a Surrey-based writer and activist.