Operation Blue Star

OP-ED: The loneliness of Sikhs – by Avtar Singh

1984 become one of the important and dreadful year of modern Sikh historical calendar. The scars of two massacres of that year still haunt the sole of Sikhs. Every day Sikhs feel the pricks of the authoritarianism of Indian democracy. The wounds of that era are still simmering in one way or the other. Although Indian state is trying its best to put the historical aspects and facts of that tragic year under carpet but those events themselves are strong enough to die down.

Badal-Captain blame-game about June 1984 attack: Attempt to exonerate & diminish acts and misdeeds of the real perpetrator

Hoshiarpur, Punjab (February 13, 2014): Dal Khalsa slammed Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his predecessor Captain Amrinder Singh for washing dirty linen in public. The organization said by engaging in a diatribe against each other both the leaders were exonerating and diminishing the acts and misdeeds of the real perpetrator (Indian state) of June and November 1984 painful episodes.

BJP equally responsible for supporting June 1984 attack; AISSF demands Badal Dal to sever ties with BJP

Amritsar, Punjab (February 7, 2014): With the role of British government in planning and executing infamous “Operation Blue Star” making headlines, All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) presented a memorandum to Akal Takhat Jathedar, about the support provided by LK Advani to Indira Gandhi to attack Sri Harmandir Sahib in June 1984 and association of BJP with Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal).

Leicester Sikhs critical of Amritsar Massacre report

Leicester, United Kingdom (February 08, 2014): As per certain media reports Sikh groups in Leicester have criticized the Whitehall report which clears the British military of any direct involvement in the 1984 Amritsar Massacre.

June 1984 attack on Darbar Sahib was premeditated: Naresh Gujral; Badal Dal MPs demand declassification of documents

New Delhi, India (February 07, 2014): Naresh Gujral, Rajya Sabha MP and son of former Indian PM Inder Kumar Gujral has reportedly said that the documents declassified in the UK show the correspondence pertaining to the military offensive on the Harmandar Sahib (Amritsar) had been going on for at least six months before the actual attack took place. He said that “[t]he entire operation was premeditated”.

Disclosure of British involvement in 1984 attack, with refusal to tender apology agitates Sikhs

Amritsar/ Jalandhar (February 05, 2014): Sikhs across the globe are agitated following the UK government's admission on February 04 that it advised the India in 1984 on carrying out the armed attack on Darbar Sahib. Various Sikh bodies and jathedar of the Akal Takht have sought unconditional apology from the UK government.

World Sikh Organization Calls on India to Hold Inquiry into 1984 Attack on Sri Darbar Sahib

Ottawa, Canada (February 5, 2014): In the wake of the British Government’s investigation into Britain’s role in advising India on planning the attack on Sri Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) at Amritsar in 1984, the World Sikh Organization of Canada calls on the Government of India to conduct a similar inquiry into the attack and reiterates its call for the British Government to conduct a full parliamentary inquiry.

UK govt’s admission highly deplorable: Dal Khalsa

Amritsar, Punjab (February 04, 2014): Dal Khalsa while reacting on the admission made by Foreign Secretary William Hague that UK govt gave advised to the Indian authorities on Golden Temple attack said it was highly deplorable and painful.

“A cruel and clinical whitewash” – UK Sikhs respond with Anger & Disgust to Foreign Secretary’s Statement to Parliament

London, United Kingdom (February 04, 2014): UK's Sikh Diaspora has reacted with anger and disgust at what they see as a patronizing and whitewashing response from the UK Government to the recent 1984 document revelations.

British report admits complicity of armed attack on Darbar Sahib, but attempts to under mine the issue

London, United Kingdom (February 04, 2014): British Foreign Secretary William Hague confirmed on February 04, 2014 that Britain had advised the then Indian government ahead of the June 1984 attack on Harmandar Sahib (Darbar Sahib, Amritsar) by the Indian army but attempted to undermine the issue by saying that Britain had no operational involvement in Operation Bluestar.

UK: Foreign Secretary William Hague’s statement to the British Parliament on UK’s links with June 1984 attack

London, United Kingdom (February 04, 2014): British Foreign Secretary William Hague on February confirmed that Britain had advised the then Indian government ahead of the June 1984 attack on Darbar Sahib (Amritsar) by the Indian army. Sikh Siyasat News (SSN) has accessed William Hague's statement to the British Parliament.

UK and 1984 attack – William Hague rejects repeated requests from Labour MPs for an apology

London, United Kingdom (February 04, 2014): According to information Labour MPs Mike Gapes, Pat McFadden and Chris Williamson during a Parliamentary meeting in the House of Commons on February 04, 2013 suggested that, even if Britain did just offer advice to India regarding armed action against the Sikhs back in 1984, an apology was still merited.

UK’s Sikh diaspora seeks answers regarding UK government complicity in the massacre of innocent Sikhs in June 1984

London, United Kingdom (According to information available with the Sikh Siaysat News (SSN), UK's Sikh diaspora has been conducting a letter writing campaign, in which individuals are writing letters to their MPs about UK government complicity in the massacre of innocent Sikhs in June 1984.

UK: MP Tom Watson reacts to India Today story about Sundown Operation, To seek statement from House of Commons

London/ New Delhi (February 02, 2014): It is learnt that UK's Labour Party MP Tom Watson said on February 01 that he wanted "an urgent statement" from the UK government in the House of Commons on Monday (February 03) after an India Today magazine story revealed how then Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi almost gave the go-ahead to a covert RAW operation to abduct/ kidnap Sikh leader Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale months before she sent the Army into the Darbar Sahib (Amritsar) in June 1984.

Operation Sundown – Plan to abduct Sant Bhindranwale from Guru Nanak Niwas in Dec. 1983 – More chapters of black history of India coming into light

Chandigarh/ Punjab (February 01, 2014): According to India Today: “[m]onths before Prime Minister Indira Gandhi sent the Indian Army into the Golden Temple in 1984, she considered a covert commando raid to apprehend radical Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale”.

Issue of UK links with June 1984 – Highlights of meeting of Sikh Delegation with UK Cabinet Secretary

London, United Kingdom (January 30, 2014): It is learnt that Sikh Federation (UK) along with prominent Sikh Organisations met with the Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood and other officials at Whitehall in London on January 29.

Letter to the Editor – Why media failed to question Indira Gandhi’s pre-plans to attack Darbar Sahib?

Recently declassified British documents have revealed that Indira Gandhi asked British PM Thatcher in February 1984, for her advice and support for attack on Darbar Sahib. British documents confirm that Indira Gandhi had made plans to use the army to attack the Darbar Sahib (Amritsar) and was trying to get support from various Governments to justify that attack, which was codenamed as Operation Blue Star.

Chandraswami’s Hindu Prophecies, Margaret Thatcher, & India’s Invasion of the Darbar Sahib

Fresh on the heels of irrefutable evidence that the late British PM Margaret Thatcher colluded in the 1984 massacre of thousands of Sikhs at the Darbar Sahib in Amritsar, Punjab (known colloquially as “Operation Bluestar”) by sending SAS advisors to draft a plan of invasion for Indian PM Indira Gandhi comes the revelation that Thatcher, at the request of the Indian High Commission in London, consulted with Hindu cult-leader Chandraswami in 1975, who prophesied to the newly-elected leader of the Conservative Party that she would become Prime Minister.

British Links with June 1984 attack – Voices for Freedom Calls for Impartial, Transparent and Independent Inquiry

New York, USA (January 24, 2014): The Voices For Freedom (VFF) has sought an impartial and transparent war crime inquiry based on the declassified government documents showing British involvement in preparation of the June 1984 attack. VFF has expressed shock over recent revelations.

Detailed Report: Sikhs lobby with UK Lawmakers about disclosure of British hand in June 1984 attack on Sikhs

London, United Kingdom (January 22, 2014): In February last year David Cameron became the first sitting British Prime Minister to visit the Harmander Sahib (Golden Temple) Complex.

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