Harjinder Singh Jinda

Harjinder Singh Jinda (* 1961 in Gadli near Amritsar , Punjab ; † October 9, 1992 in Pune , Maharashtra ) was a member of the militant Sikh group Khalistan Commando Force , which fought for an independent Sikh state . He carried out several political murders, including that of General Arun Vaidya , who was the chief of the Indian army at the time of Operation Blue Star (storming the Golden Temple in Amritsar).

Childhood and youth

Harjinder Singh was born to Gulzar Singh and Gurnam Kaur in the village of Gadli near Amritsar. He belonged to a farming family and had two older brothers and a sister. After graduating from 10th grade, he went to Khalsa College in Amritsar. He was in his second semester during Operation Blue Star (storming the Golden Temple). After these events he broke off his education and joined the Khalistan movement.

Militant activities

With Sukhdev Singh Sukha and Ranjit Singh Gill he planned and carried out the assassination of Lalit Maken, Member of the Indian Parliament for the Congress Party . Lalit Maken was shot dead from a passing motorcycle on July 31, 1985. Lalit Maken tried to run back to his house to take cover, but his wife Balkishan also came into the field of fire and died. Lalit Maken was involved in the killing of innocent Sikhs during the anti-Sikh riots in 1984 following the murder of Indira Gandhi .

General Arun Vaidya was the chief of the Indian army who led the attack on the Golden Temple and other places in Punjab . On August 10, 1986, he was shot dead in his car while driving to the market by Jinda, Sukha and two accomplices. According to police, his car was shot at by passing motorcycles. His wife, who was also in the car, was seriously injured in the shooting.

Arjan Dass, a local MP for the Congress Party, was also shot dead by Jinda and Sukha for his involvement in acts of violence against innocent Sikhs. Jinda was also involved in the bank robbery of the Punjab National Bank in Ludhiana , where the Khalistan Commando Force looted around 5.7 million rupees .

Jinda was arrested at Gurudwara Majnoo Daa Tilla in Delhi in March 1987 . In the joint trial with Sukha he did not deny the murders, but both pleaded not guilty and justified their actions with the words: “ Vaidya is guilty of a serious crime for which the penalty can only be death. “You were sentenced to death on October 9, 1992 for the murder of General Vaidya . Sukha and Jinda wrote a letter to the president not demanding a pardon. They were hanged in Pune Prison on the morning of October 9, 1992 .

Honors from the Sikh community

Sukha and Jinda are considered martyrs by militant Sikhs and the anniversary of their death is celebrated annually. In particular, on October 9, 2000, representatives of large Sikh organizations such as the Shiromani Akali Dal party attended the eighth anniversary of his death. Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti (head of Akal Takht ) held the "Ardas" (religious rite) in honor of Sukha and Jinda. Sukha and Jinda were honored as "great martyrs" of the Sikh religion . Also on October 9, 2008, the families of Sukha and Jinda were honored in the Golden Temple. The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) declared them the avengers of Operation Bluestar.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Naunidhi Kaur: A life sentence . In: Frontline , Vol. 20, No. 7, March 29, 2003. ( Memento of the original from April 29, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (Report of the trial by Ranjit Singh Gill)  
2. ↑ Inde, un commando assine un ancien chef de l'armée . In: Journal de Genève , August 11, 1986. ( Memento of the original from January 16, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
3. ↑ People's Union For Democratic Rights (PUDR) and People's Union For Civil Liberties (PUCL): Who are the Guilty? Report of a joint inquiry into the causes and impact of the riots in Delhi from October 31 to November 10, 1984 . Delhi 1984. ( Memento of the original from April 11, 2018 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
4. ^ ^{A b} SGPC honors kin of Vaidya's assassins. In: The Tribune (India) , October 10, 2008
5. ↑ The Vaidya Murder Case: Confirming Death Sentences . In India Abroad (New York edition) , Vol. 22, No. 43, June 24, 1992, p. 20.
6. ↑ Vedanti performs "ardas" for Sukha, Jinda . In: The Tribune (India) , October 10, 2000

Web links

• Letters from Jinda and Sukha during their captivity (Engl.)
• Biography on www.saintsoldiers.net (engl.)