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{{Infobox Person
{{Infobox Person
| name = Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale
| name = Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale (This whole blog is full of lies don't read this ask sikhs who he was)
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Revision as of 20:09, 8 May 2008

Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale (This whole blog is full of lies don't read this ask sikhs who he was)
Born(1947-02-12)February 12, 1947
Rode, Faridkot, Punjab, India
DiedJune 6, 1984(1984-06-06) (aged 37)
Akal Takth Complex, Amritsar, Punjab, India
OccupationJathedar of Damdami Taksal
SpousePritam Kaur
ChildrenIshar Singh and Inderjit Singh[1]
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Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale or Jarnail Singh (Brar) (Punjabi: ਜਰਨੈਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਭਿੰਡਰਾਂਵਾਲੇ; February 12, 1947–June 6, 1984) was a controversial leader of the Damdami Taksal, a Sikh religious group based in India[2], who supported the creation of the proposed Sikh state of Khalistan.[3] He tried to spread his perceived values of Sikhism and persuaded young people to follow the original rules and tenets of the religion. In 1981, Bhidranwale was arrested for his suspected involvement in the murder of Jagat Narain, the proprietor of the Hind Samachar Group. He surrendered to police but was later released due to lack of evidence, however, 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 his supporters occupied the Akal Takht complex, including the Golden Temple, in Amritsar.[4] He was killed by the Indian Army, who had orders from Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to remove all armed 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 militant[5] and extremist.[2]

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.[1] Jarnail Singh was the seventh of eight brothers. He was brought up as a strict vegetarian[6] and was of the Jat caste. He dropped out of school at a very early age, unable to read or write or speak in English or Hindi he began farming. In 1965, he was enrolled by his father at the Damdami Taksal, a religious school, near Moga, Punjab, then headed by Gurbachan Singh Khalsa.[1] After studying for just one year he returned to farming again, but he continued to study under Kartar Singh, who was the new head of the Taksal. He quickly became the favourite student of Kartar Singh.[7] Kartar Singh was fatally injured in a car accident and nominated Bhindranwale as his successor, in preference to his son Amrik Singh. Amrik Singh later became close associate of Bhindranwale.[8]

He married Pritam Kaur, daughter of Sucha Singh of Bilaspur.[1] His wife bore him two sons, Ishar and Inderjit Singh, in 1971 and 1975, respectively.[1] Pritam Kaur died of heart ailment at age 60, on September 15, 2007 in Jalandhar.[9]

Rise to popularity

In Punjab, Bhindranwale went from village to village as a religious missionary talking with Sikhs. He asked them 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 sex, 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.[1] Bhidranwale was formally elected at a bhog ceremony at Mehta Chowk on August 25, 1977.[1]

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, he lost all seats except 4.[10] A year later, Bhindranwale campaigned actively for Congress in three constituencies' during the general elections.[11] Due to his lack of success in election politics, Bhindranwale claimed he did not personally seek any political offices. As stated in a 1984 Time Magazine article, Bhindranwale had become so popular that he had overthrew the authority of the Shiromani Akali Dal, a Punjab-based Sikh political party.[12] Bhindranwale wielded a great deal of power, and the political factions within Punjab could not commit any major action without considering Bhindranwale's response.[13]

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."[14] To which he added, "if the Indian Government invaded the Darbar Sahib complex, the foundation for an independent Sikh state will have been laid."[15] The BBC reported that he was daring Law enforcement to react to his actions of fortifying the Golden Temple in order to bolster support.[16]

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 members of the Nirankaris. The victims were implicated. This infuriated many Sikhs further. On April 24, 1980, the leader of Nirankaris, Gurbachan Singh, was murdered. The FIR named nearly twenty people involved in the murder, most of whom had ties to Bhindranwale.[17] 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. Bhindranwale was later released due to absence of evidence.

On September 9, 1981, Jagat Narain, the proprietor of the Hind Samachar Group, was shot dead near the Amaltas Motel.[6] Jagat Narain was a prominent opponent of Bhindranwale.He was present during the clash that occurred between Nirankaris and Akhand Kirtni Jatha Members, and stood witness at the Karnal Trial, in favour of the accused.[18] 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.[19] On September 20, 1981, Bhindranwale surrendered to the police at a function held in a Gurudwara Gurdarshan Parkash.[20] 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.[21]

Sanctuary in the Golden Temple

In 1982 Bhindranwale took shelter with a large group of his armed followers, into a guest house called the Guru Nanak Niwas, in the precincts of the Golden Temple.[6] On December 15, 1983, Bhindranwale was forced out of Guru Nanak Niwas by Babbar Khalsa organization, who then moved into the temple compound itself. He fortified the temple with light machine-guns and sophisticated self-loading rifles were brought in.[17] Mark Tully and Satish Jacob wrote, "All ... terrorists were known by name to the shopkeepers and the householders who live in the narrow alleys surrounding the Golden Temple. ... The Punjab police must have known who they were also, but they made no attempt to arrest them. By this time Bhindranwale and his men were above the law."[22]

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 remove armed militants from the complex. It was widely reported that Bhindranwale did not survive the operation and is thus regarded as a martyr by some 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 militants in the Army's custody.[23] Bhindranwale's brother is also reported to have identified Bhindranwale's body.[24] 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.[25] 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."[26][27] R.K. Bajaj, a correspondent for Surya magazine, claimed to have seen a photograph of Bhindranwale in custody.[28] 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.[25][2] However, Jarnail Singh was pronounced a martyr by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee at a function in 2003.[29]

Legacy

Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was praised by many Sikhs as a matyr of common time,[30] but by other Sikhs he was considered a terrorist.[2] Famed Indian novelist Khushwant Singh stated that [Operation Blue Star] gave the movement for Khalistan its first martyr in Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale."[31] 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.[32] Harbans Singh's The Encyclopedia of Sikhism describes Bhindranwale as "a phenomenal figure of modern Sikhism."[33]

Vir Sanghvi, one of India's leading political commentators said, "[Bhindranwale] 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."[34] 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 intentionally turned the Akal Takht into a fortress [35] in Amritsar.[36]

Cynthia Keppley Mahmood wrote in Fighting for Faith and Nation: Dialogues With Sikh Militants that Bhindranwale never learned English but mastered Punjabi. He was adept at television, radio and press interviews.[37] Keppley further stated that "[a]lthough the Indian press at various times compared him to Rasputin and Hitler, those who knew him personally uniformly report his general likability and ready humour as well his dedication to Sikhism".[37] The author further states that "Largely responsible for launching Sikh militancy, he is valorized by millitants and de-monised by enemies and the accounts from the two divergent sources seem to refer to two completely different persons."[37]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Singh, Sandeep. "Saint Jarnail Singh Bhindrenwale (1947 - 1984)". Sikh-history.com. Retrieved 2007-03-18.
  2. ^ a b c d 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)
  3. ^ Joshi, Chand (1985). Bhindranwale: Myth and Reality. New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House. pp. p129. ISBN 0706926943. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  4. ^ Kaur, Naunidhi (2004-06-03). "Flashbacks: Golden Temple attack". BBC News. Retrieved 2007-03-28.
  5. ^ Urmila Phadnis, Rajat Ganguly (2001). Ethnicity and Nation-building in South Asia. SAGE. p. p97. {{cite book}}: |page= has extra text (help)
  6. ^ a b c 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)
  7. ^ Deol, Harnik (2000). Religion and Nationalism in India: The Case of the Punjab. Routledge. pp. p168. ISBN 041520108X. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  8. ^ Tully, Mark (1985). Amritsar: Mrs Gandhi's Last Battle. London: Jonathan Cape. pp. p54. ISBN 0-224-02328-4. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |authorlinks= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ "Bhindranwale's widow dead". The Tribune. 2007-09-16. Retrieved 2008-03-19. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ Singh, Khushwant (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)
  11. ^ Tully (1985), p177.
  12. ^ Lopez, Laura (1984). "India, Diamonds and the Smell of Death". Time (June 25, 1984). {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  13. ^ Robin, Jeffrey (1994). What's Happening to India? (2nd edition ed.). New York: Holmes & Meier Publishing. pp. pp146-147. ISBN 0841913501. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help); |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |month= (help)
  14. ^ Sandhu (1999), pLVI.
  15. ^ Sandhu (1999), pLVII.
  16. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_6570000/newsid_6572600/6572653.stm?bw=bb&mp=rm&news=1&bbcws=1
  17. ^ a b Sandhu, Ranbir S. (1997-05). "Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale - Life, Mission, and Martyrdom" (PDF). Sikh Educational and Religious Foundation. Retrieved 2008-03-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ Jalandhri, Surjeet (1984). Bhindranwale Sant. Jalandhar: Punjab Pocket Books. p. 25. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  19. ^ 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)
  20. ^ Jalandhri, Surjeet (1984). Bhindranwale Sant. Jalandhar: Punjab Pocket Books. p. 53. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  21. ^ Tully (1985), p69.
  22. ^ Tully and Jacob, p94.
  23. ^ 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)
  24. ^ 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)
  25. ^ a b 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)
  26. ^ 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)
  27. ^ Pettigrew (1995), p51.
  28. ^ 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)
  29. ^ "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)
  30. ^ "Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale". Shaheedi Immorality. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
  31. ^ Singh (1999), p378.
  32. ^ "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)
  33. ^ 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)
  34. ^ Sandhu (1999), pXL.
  35. ^ BBC News Player - 1984: Troops raid Golden Temple
  36. ^ Marty, Martin E. (1995). The Fundamentalism Project. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. p596-597. ISBN 0-226-50878-1. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |month= (help)
  37. ^ a b c Keppley, Cynthia (1997). Fighting for Faith and Nation: Dialogues With Sikh Militants. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. p77. ISBN 0812215923. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

External links


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